The Sheriff's Daughter
by Lily6005
Summary: Her father is the cruelest man in Nottingham,the man who she will marry is his right hand. Though they try to hide it from her she is not ignorant,especially since her best friend's father is the former Sheriff. She was trained to be lethal. What if she goes against his wishes and uses it for good? What if she befriends outlaws? Robin/Marian OC/Gisborne
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

No one would dare touch Belle. She was protected beyond measure by anyone her father could order around. She always had a chaperone unless she suck out from under their eye, and since they would be killed if her father found out, he would never be told. She was smart enough to remind them that whenever they caught up to her, or when she found them after she had her fun.

She wasn't cruel, she just was in her rebellious teenage years. Sixteen and beautiful with long blonde that went to her waist, and was where her pride was born. She was strong too, her father had made sure she was able to protect herself from outlaws. She was trained in archery, hand-to-hand, throwing knives and sword fighting, all of which she loved. She could even take down her father's accomplices, all of which learned when she was thirteen she was not to be messed with.

Her father was the Sheriff of Nottingham, she wasn't ignorant to his power-hungry nature, she knew all about it. She wasn't as cruel as he, she did what was in her power to give poor people food, and coins she could spare without her father noticing.

She was the apple of his eye, adored her, and made sure she had whatever she wanted, he would say the cruel things he did were for her, for her so she would be taken care of, she told him she didn't want to be associated with it.

She hated that wherever she went, she was treated with fear, she was nothing to be feared, she wanted to help people, so a week after her sixteenth birthday, she got clothes that fitted her in a way that made her look more like a man, hard for her since she had a very womanly figure, they were black, so she could sneak around in the shadows.

She got this idea from her friend, Marian, who she found out to be the Nightwatchman nearly two months ago after she helped her escape from the hands of Guy of Gisborne, who she was stealing from. She scolded her for going in with no backup, Belle scolded her, telling her that if Robin Hood didn't show up Belle couldn't have helped her.

But now, she was in danger, she could be killed easily, but she couldn't find herself minding, she craved danger in her otherwise boring life. This was it, and it was also helping the poor. Two birds, one stone.

"Will you take me out?" She asked Marian, the day before.

"If you can meet me in the forest, I'll see you at sunset." Marian told her. "Don't get caught."

"I'll use you as my alibi, Guy will let me out if I say I'm going straight to your house." Belle told her. "I'll say that I'm spending the night. My father won't notice."

"I'm your excuse, what if he comes knocking while we're out?" Marian asked.

"He won't show until dawn." Belle told her. "We'll be fine."

"All right, we'll do it." Marian had told her.

"Us Sheriff's daughter's have to stick together." Belle agreed. "Though mine is evil."

"If it wasn't for you I would have a lot worse done than my hair being cut off." Marian had said. "It's easy to say you have not followed in his footsteps."

Belle remembered that, and it gave her hope, maybe she wasn't as evil as he father or aunt. But she still loved her father, there was nothing she could do about it, she just did. He treated her like a princess, buying her gowns and letting her ride whenever she wanted, though he would not let any man court her to this date, she knew it would have to be coming soon, and she dreaded her father's choice, he would surely be like the Sheriff.

"Guy," Belle smiled, leaning against a cold stone wall, her hands behind her on the small of her back.

"What do you want Belle?" The dark man asked, raising a black eyebrow.

"I was just on my way to Marian's, and I thought I should at least tell someone." Belle told him. "I'm not kidnapped or anything."

"Should I send someone to take you?" He asked.

"No, I'll ride." Belle told him. "You know nothing will happen to me."

"I would still like to take you."

Belle smiled. "You said you were going to send one of the goons."

"I changed my mind."

"Really?" Belle said, advancing on him so they were nose to nose, or well, nose to chest, but he was peering down at her. "And I can't imagine why."

"Should I call someone to saddle the horses?"

"What do I have to do to go by my self? Beat you in a sword fight, perhaps?" She said this in a light teasing voice, as she made sure there was at least a little space between their faces.

"I can think of a few things." He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head so he hit her jaw.

"Uh-uh, Father will _kill_ you." She told him.

"Do you want me to take you there?" He whispered in her ear.

She smiled, and turned her head to kiss him. Mostly it was for show, he may be cruel to others, but he was nice to her, since she became beautiful at least. Before that he treated her like a child. She didn't forget, but she did know how to get what she wanted.

"Can I go? Father won't notice." Belle whispered, after she kissed him softly.

"I will be there in the morning to collect you." He told her.

"You make me sound like a possession." She objected, backing away from him. "Goodbye."

She quickly made it to the forest where Marian told her to go, her saddlebags full of another dress and her dark clothes to change into for their late night activities, along with things she would need to spend the night at Marian's house, since they would probably get in early in the morning to give Belle enough time to change, and maybe sleep for a while before Guy came to get them.

Belle loved the forest. It was beautiful and, as her father said, full of outlaws. She didn't care, she knew if they knew who she is, they would use her as leverage against him, but with a dagger in her boot, and a bow and quiver of arrows on her back, she doubted it, until she heard a voice.

"Well well well, what have we here?" A male voice asked, from somewhere in the trees.

Belle turned her head, going to her ankle for a knife, as she searched the trees for where the voice came from.

"Don't even think about it." It said, as her eyes found the short man, a bow already trained on her.

She sighed, raising her hands above her head. "Hello, Robin Hood."

"You know the drill, Little Sheriff." He said as his gang came out of the trees.

"I have no money on me, nor jewelry." She told them. "I am on my way to visit Marian, would you like me to send a greeting for you?"

"Robin, leave Belle alone. She doesn't have any money on her." Marian said, as she brought her horse between the arrow and Belle to stand between them. "Where are your clothes?"

"I couldn't get out of the castle without being seen, Marian." Belle whispered to her. "I have to get changed."

"Get off your horse." Marian replied as she got off her horse.

"Marian." Robin groaned. "What are you doing?"

"I believe I'm helping a friend." Marian told him, holding up Belle's cloak to cover her as she changed. "Now, would you please leave?"

"She's the Sheriff's daughter!" Alan said. "She's probably got loads of money on her."

"Shut it," Belle told them, as she looked over her horse's saddle at him. "I'm nothing like him."

"Ooh, baby girl's got a temper." Alan said.

Belle took out a blade and threw it at the tree next to his head.

"I suggest your mouth shut." Marian advised. "She gets scary when she's upset, and you're upsetting her, Alan."

"I'm sure little miss privileged is never criticized." Alan replied. "She almost killed me!"

"I don't miss, if I wanted to kill you, you would be dead." Belle told him, taking her cloak from Marian and putting it back on. "Marian, can we go now?"

"Marian, can I talk to you for a moment?" Robin asked.

Marian looked between them. "Five minutes," she told Robin, before flashing Belle an apologetic smile.

"Hurry." Belle told her, frowning.

"I will," she said. "Alan, would you watch my horse?" She said as she passed him.

Belle stuffed her dress in her saddlebag, before getting back on her horse, holding her mask in a belt at her waist.

Alan was watching her as she straightened her reins.

"You're drooling." Belle snapped, not even looking up.

"Are you sure the Sheriff's your father?"

"Positive."

"Then you should thank God that you look like your mother." He told her.

She had to fight the urge to kick out and hit his jaw with her boot, but it was so tempting, before flashing him a smile. "Are you calling be beautiful?"

"No-"

"I think you are, don't even try, you're already on my father's to kill list." Belle told him, enjoying the red tinge on the outlaw's cheeks. "Though that would make it all the more fun..." She bent back so she could lay down, the saddle biting into her back. In her clothes, if she were standing she would look like a man, but how she was laying now, her curves were more pronounced and she knew that Alan was at least taking note of it, since the others were still shadows in the trees and not in the clearing.

"You're conceited, you know that?"

"Yes, I am, thank you for noticing." Belle told him.

"It's not a complement."

"Really? Because you make it sound like one."

"I'm sure you get enough complements."

"So you do think I'm beautiful!"

"I never said that."

"It was implied."

"Stop your bickering, you sound like an old married couple." Said a large man from the shadows.

Belle scoffed. "I'm just a girl, I don't know better."

"You're old enough to get married." Alan muttered.

"Oh, notice that did you?" Belle teased. "I'm afraid you're rather thick, it took others mere seconds."

"Actually I noticed when you were getting changed." He told her, before his shoulder getting hit by the heel of her boot. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure you didn't." Belle said, sarcasm leaking into her voice as her horse took a few steps forward. "How long do their little trysts usually take?" She asked the tall man.

"You know?" Asked another short man, a trip of cloth tied on his head.

"Of course I know. It doesn't take much to figure out with them." Belle said. "You didn't answer my question."

"And I'm sure everyone answers your questions." Alan muttered.

"Most of the time." She said. "But we have to go, we have things to do."

"What kind of things?" Much asked.

"I'm sure Marian's gonna tell Robin Hood all about it." Belle said.

"So you're the one that Gisborne's after?" said a saracen woman, coming out of the shadows.

"How do you think you found out about the money coming on the North Road?" Belle asked them.

That made them pause, but how else could they think Marian was getting the information? She had no connections inside the castle, but the Sheriff's daughter who was being sheltered from everything her father had done, or is doing. Or they thought they were.

"Oh, a new bit of information?" She mocked, taking a small bag of gold out of her bag, and throwing it at the Saracen woman. "That is my spending money for the next week. Tell me again how I'm evil like my father, that I'm going to sell Marian out so my father could kill her. Just. Tell. Me."

"Her, I like." The tall man with a staff said.

Belle smiled, a real smile, with her eyes lighting up, one that she rarely showed.

"So what are your plans then?" The Saracen woman asked.

"Djaq, she's not gonna tell ya." Alan said.

Belle cleared her throat, and motioned for Djaq to come forward, which she did until Will-she recognized him from when she would leave money around Locksley when she was fourteen-stopped her.

"She's not going to hurt me." Djaq said.

Belle rolled her eyes, and raised her hands over her head. "They'll stay above my head, Will, okay? Don't get your knickers in a twist."

Djaq came towards her, and Belle leaned down. "We're gonna steal for Guy, I know where he keeps his wealth."

"He moved it since last spring." Djaq whispered back.

"You don't think he showed the girl he's lusting after?" Belle replied.

Djaq raised her eyebrow. "Good luck." She looked over Belle. "It explains the clothes."

Belle laughed, sitting up. "I had them made for me, one piece from a different tailor in town, and I made the mask myself."

"All black?"

"It matches my father's soul." Belle shrugged.

Djaq laughed. "So he doesn't try to hide it from you?"

"Oh, he does, I didn't know until I was about twelve years of age." Belle told her. "Right after my father became Sheriff, I saw a man get stabbed for stealing a loaf of bread, my father thought I was unpacking in the castle, but I decided to go for a walk instead." Belle's eyes glazed over, and her face became unreadable, in a trancelike state. "I was walking through the market, and a poor man was begging for food, I was twelve you must understand, and shy, I wanted to give him money, but my father told me never to talk to strangers, so I just ignored him. The next thing I remember he was lying on the ground, and there was blood everywhere, they drug him away before he was even dead." Belle shook her head. "I asked one of the guards why it was such harsh treatment, they just said it was because my father wanted everyone to know that he was to be feared, so he could instill fear into everyone, even the harmless beggars."

"If you gave him some money he wouldn't have died." Alan said.

Belle turned to him with a frown. "What were you like when you were twelve? I've grown up."

"Over four years?" Alan scoffed.

"I can hold Marian's horse." Belle said, holding out her hands for the reins. "You can leave?"

He didn't relieve them to her. "Are you trying to dismiss me? You're not in your castle."

"How do you deal with him?" Belle asked Djaq. "He seems like an ass."

"Oh, he is." The short man said.

"Now, I don't know all of your names." Belle said. "But you seem to know mine."

"Much," the short man told her.

"John," the tall man told her.

Belle nodded. "Good to meet you, Marian's told me stories."

"How did you get her to trust you?" Djaq asked.

"I caught her stealing money from my father, and gave her some more." Belle told her. "I didn't know it was her at the time, but I figured out that every time I'd mention where money was coming in or out to her, she'd tell you guys, or do it herself. It wasn't too hard to figure out to be honest."

"Clever girl." Djaq admired. "And you're the Sheriff's daughter? Who's your mother?"

Belle nodded. "I don't know who my mother is, though. He won't talk about it."

"Probably killed her." Alan muttered.

"Alan!" Much, John, Will, and Djaq all reprimanded.

"That's crossed my mind." Belle muttered, as Marian and Robin stepped out of the woods. "Can we go now?" Belle called out to her. "I'd like to get to Locksley before he leaves the castle."

Marian shook her head. "Patience is a virtue." She took the reins from Alan, and got on her horse. "We'll leave the money here when we get it. Can you take it from there?" She asked Robin.

He bowed, somewhat mockingly. "As you wish."

Belle and Marian kicked their horses into a canter, going towards Locksley.

"That's the girl Gisborne's after?" Alan asked.

"Yeah," Robin said.

"Bit too opinionated, don't you think?" He asked, earning a smack from Djaq.

"And what would you call me?" She demanded.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I think you think she's pretty." Robin teased.

"That stuck up child?" He replied. "No way."


	2. Chapter 2

Belle couldn't stop giggling after they left Guy's house, they only stopped a moment to get changed into normal clothes, before going to wait for Robin Hood and his gang to collect the money from them.

When they got there, Belle was laughing. Not proper, like a girl her age should be, but she couldn't help it...she just felt so...felt so...free. She all but leaped off her horse, and started spinning in the darkness of night. She felt like she had nothing at all to fear.

"That isn't safe, Belle." Marian hissed at her, calling Belle out of her trance.

Belle looked up at her, she had an amused look on her face. "I'm just so happy."

"You did well your first time out." Marian told her.

"Can we do it again, soon?" Belle asked.

"Yes," Marian tells her. "Just remember not to smile when you hear about it tomorrow."

"I won't. I'll be the sympathetic Belle." Belle replied, petting her horse's neck. "Guy won't suspect a thing."

"Well, finally." Robin said, carrying a torch. "We were about to leave."

"You know better than to do that." Marian told him.

Belle got the bags of coins from her saddlebags, as Alan, on a horse stopped next to her. "I'll take those."

"Why didn't Djaq come?" Belle moaned. "I like her."

"I'm afraid he's all you got." Robin told her.

Belle rolled her eyes, and tossed the small bags to him. "I'd give you my saddlebags, but I'm afraid Guy will notice them missing."

"No one would want that." Alan said sarcastically. "You look like a girl."

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing." She replied, making Marian cough to cover a laugh.

"You can't take a compliment, can you?" He replied, as he put them in the saddlebags.

"I thought it was an observation." Belle said, looking him straight in the eyes. "A compliment is when someone says something flattering, not as matter-of-fact as you did."

"You look beautiful this evening." He told her.

She straightened her back, surprised by this outlaw. "Thank you." She turned her back to him under the pretense of getting more bags of money, though she had a confused look on her face.

"What is it like?" She asked, as she slowly got more bags of coins. "Living out here in the forest, I mean."

"Not as plush as fancy castles, I suppose." He said.

She let out a soft laugh. "I wouldn't mind, it sounds wonderful, like finally being free." She turned, and handed him the last bag of money, their fingers touching for a second. "Like feeling as I do right now."

He looked at her, confused by how she had gone from irritated to sweet in under a minute.

"I guess."

She smiled up at him. "I know this doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry my father almost killed all of you. I don't want to be like him."

"Honestly I don't think you're capable." He told her.

"Good, because I intend to leave at least ten pounds every Tuesday afternoon here and I would like for the right people to find it." She told him.

"I'll be here." He told her, looking curiously at the girl in front of him.

**A/N: I owe nothing. This is going to be the disclaimer for the whole story. Enjoy!**

Belle could sing, she didn't do it often in front of people, but when she was alone in her room the next afternoon, she did. She didn't know where the song came from, she thought it was an old lullaby someone must have sung to her as a young child.

_Just close your eyes, you'll be all right. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound. _

_Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire, the war outside keeps raging on, hold on to this lullaby, even when the music's gone. Gone._

_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be all right, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound. _

She didn't know any other verses, just those few, the rest she just vocalized to the tune, though she had no lessons, she was blessed with a voice as smooth as silk, and as beautiful as she was.

Unlike many other women her age with her amount of money and servants, she chose to dress herself, today it was in a blue dress that she could easily move in, whether to ride a horse, or to run, her hair wasn't pinned in any way, just let around her in a golden curtain, as she tossed it back and forth over her shoulders.

Guy always seemed to let her get away with more when she had it down, and she wanted to make sure he treated her well since he was in a very bad mood, proof of that was when he couldn't even be civil to Marian or her father when he came to collect her, nor would he talk to her to tell her more than what happened.

She walked through the castle, her head held high as she went to visit her father.

"Belle!" He cried clapping his hands together. Both he and Guy were sitting at the wooden table.

A confused look appeared on her face. "Why so joyful, father? What is the good news?" She went to her father's side, and kneeled next to him, putting her hands on the arm of his chair, and looking up at him with big eyes, like she saw no flaws in him, like she did as a small child. She was much less innocent now.

He took her hands in his. "Your boy, Gisborne here has asked to court you."

Her face went blank, as she looked at him.

"I gave it to him." He told her, waiting to see happiness flash across her face. "But you can do as you please."

Belle nodded, her face flashing into a smile. "I always do, Father, but I do prefer to be asked by the man himself."

"Cheeky, just like I raised you." He told her, squeezing her hands. "How was your night?"

"Very good." She told him. "It's nice to have a friend to talk to, it gets awfully lonely here, sometimes."

"And there's no one else you would like to be friends with?" He asked.

Belle shook her head. "Marian and I get along well, we have the same heart."

"I don't think so," the sheriff said. "She is associated with outlaws."

"Before they became outlaws, Father." She reminded him, easily hiding the smile behind the one she already had on her lips. "You can't judge someone on who they are around, but who they are, how many times must I remind you?"

"Everyday apparently." He told her.

She smiled. "I came to tell you that I am going for a ride, I should be back before supper."

"Without a guard?" He asked.

"I'll have my knives and a sword." She told him. "I'll be perfectly safe, you did have me trained for a reason, may I remind you."

"Of course," he said. "I'll have a search party sent if you are not back by sundown."

She stood back up and kissed her father's forehead, before turning to Guy and looking him over. "Goodbye." She left, making sure to add a little pop to her step as she did so.

She went to saddle her horse, if her father found out he would say they have people to do it for them, but she had learned, and wanted to put it to use so it would not be forgotten.

As Belle was checking the saddle's tightness, Guy came for her.

"I always knew you would do it yourself." He said.

"I do not want to forget." She told him, taking the horse's bridle and trying to coax the bit into the her mouth, but the horse's head reared up out of Belle's reach.

"Let me," he said, taking the bridle from her, and putting it on the horse easily.

"Thank you." She told him, as he put the reigns to where she could reach them when she was on the saddle.

She pulled herself onto the saddle, and took the reigns.

"So are you happy about today?" He asked.

"I'm not unhappy." She told him. "But it will take far more than my father's acceptance to win me over. I have a mind of my own."

"And what a wonder it is." He told her.

She leaned over and put her arm on his shoulder, bracing herself so she would not fall. "It should be, I've spent years making it so." Her eyes flashed over his shoulder, just long enough to see Robin Hood and his men sneaking into the castle. She locked eyes with Djaq before she felt the urge to roll her eyes, but settled for returning her eyes to Guy's and kissing him, until she knew it was long enough for them all to get through, then she pulled away.

"Let's see how things go." She told him, taking the reigns. "Maybe I can make a man out of you."

"I'm already a man."

She shook her head. "Not yet." She squeezed her heels into the horse, and left the courtyard at a trot, leaving Guy to wonder what she had meant.

She had happy it was Tuesday, as much as the man she was about to see infuriated her, he also intrigued her. No one had ever been so bluntly honest with their thoughts to her. She liked it.

She had more than ten pounds, but since ten pounds was a small amount, she wanted to see if he would come, if he did then she had intrigued him as much as he did her. It was very sneaky of her to do, but she only could do so much in her position.

When she entered the meadow, she heard his voice. "So you were named after the word, _beauty_?"

"Yes," she told him, as he walked straight for her. She stopped her horse, and smiled. "I may be conceited, but it's worked for me in the last few years." She lifted up her skirt to get the bag of coins off her thigh, before she tossed it to him. "I also saw Robin sneaking into the castle when I left, he didn't get caught thanks to me. Mind to tell me what he's after?"

"They heard that taxes were collected today." He told her.

"And you didn't go with them?" She asked.

"Prior commitments."

She nodded, smiling. "Worth more than ten pounds?"

"Way more."

"How much?"

"Dozens."

She laughed. "And where did you get those coins?"

"I wouldn't say I'm getting their worth in coins."

She swung her leg over the horse, and landed with a soft _thud_ on the ground. "What is worth more than money?"

"Time with a beautiful woman?"

"This must be a special girl," she said. "To tame a man made of stone."

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Sixteen." She told him. "You?"

"Four and twenty."

She smiled. "Old man."

"Not as old as your father, if I recall." He said.

"Of course not, he's ancient." Belle scoffed, before sighing, remembering what he agreed to, she had hoped that he would have at least made him wait another year or two.

"What's wrong?" Alan asked.

"Guy got permission from my father to court me." She told him, taking a deep breath. "I had hoped that my father would deny him at least the first time."

"So you really don't like it there?" He asked. "With the servants and the soft bed, and food?"

"Not when no one is honest." Belle told him. "Honestly is a rare gift."

"Is that why you wanted me to meet you here?" He asked.

"Partly."

"What's the other part?"

"I don't know yet."


	3. Chapter 3

"Did you hear Belle?" Djaq asked. "She saw us getting in."

"What did she say?" Alan asked, a little too quickly.

"She told Gisborne he wasn't a man." Djaq said. "Said she was going to make him one."

"What did he say to that?" Robin laughed.

"She didn't give him a chance, it seems like she really does like dominating over people." Djaq said. "Alan, why did you stay behind today?"

"Just a little tired." He told her.

"Really?" Much asked, picking up a bag of coins. "This wasn't here before."

"Yeah, we'll I found it." Alan told them.

"With a pretty blonde attached to it?" Robin asked.

"Shut it."

"Stuck a nerve, have I?" Robin asked. "I though she was some headstrong girl."

"She is." Alan muttered.

"And you like it."

Belle was having a good day. It was Tuesday, so she was about to ride out with the twenty pounds, two crowns and sixteen shillings which she had nicked from her father when he wasn't looking, something she had always been good at.

Guy had gotten less careful about their trysts, something Belle was not fond of. She usually could keep it to when she either needed a favor or wanted something, but not anymore.

"Why must you go?" He asked her, as she backed away from him.

"It's what I do. I need some room to breathe." She told him.

"You can't breathe here?" He asked.

"Under my father's eye?" _Under your eye_, she didn't add. "No." She turned on her heel and walked away. "I will be back soon."

As always she saddled her horse, and rode off into the meadow. She knew Guy wouldn't dare follow her, if she was upset with him, her father would be too. No one wanted to have the sheriff upset.

Alan was already waiting for her, leaning against a tree.

"Oh, now you show up?" He asked.

"Guy held me up." She told him. "That man needs to learn when I am busy."

"I take it he follows you around like a dog." Alan said.

"Perfectly put." She told him, before sighing. "We're getting visitors in four days, coming along the North Road, I don't know why, but the odds are they will be carrying money on them at the very least. You guys might want to check it out."

"We will." He said, before laughing. "Marian's going to be unneeded if you keep this up."

"No, she's needed for morale, plus Robin's completely in love with her." Belle told him.

"You know that?"

"Since the moment I saw them together." Belle told him. "I'm good at reading people."

"Another part of your training, i suppose?" Alan asked.

"No, this one's all me." She told him, walking towards him, until they were close enough to touch. "Not everything's about training. Robin and Much are the only ones here with training, but you all get along fine."

"But I can't hit a knife into a tree from twenty yards away." He said.

"I can teach you." She told him.

"I'd like that." He smiled, which she returned.

"Who's here?" Belle asked Guy when the visitor came.

"None of your concern." He told her.

"They are in my home, I believe it is my concern." Belle replied. "Why do we have a visitor?"

"Your father does not wish for you to know."

She sighed. "I'm not as ignorant as you think. You don't think I know how many hangings we have? Or the fact that when we have a guest I'm told to go to my room with no explanation? Don't bid me a fool, Guy. I'm smarter than that." She started walking away, angry.

"Belle," he called after her, but she ignored him, going to get her horse from the stables, and leaving, without telling anyone.

She was happy she had braided her hair that morning, it will make her look less noticeable as she rode through the woods, hoping that Alan would find her as she took the long way to Marian's house, not even bothering to go a good speed, but transitioning from a walk to a trot periodically.

There was a man standing in the middle of the road, a hood over his head.

"This is how it works," he said. "Tell us what you have and we'll only take one tenth. Lie, and we take it all." Robin looked up. "Oh, it's you."

"Belle," Alan came out of the trees. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on my way to see Marian." She told them. "Did you get the visitor?"

Robin nodded. "Only took a tenth."

"Who is it?" She asked.

"No idea, some duke from Germany." Alan told her.

"Those twats! That's it?" She seethed. "I'm sick of them not telling me anything."

Alan raised his eyebrows.

"Either way, he probably had a lot of money on him, right?" She asked. "They turned the hall in the castle into a gambler's paradise. The Black Knights are also coming in a few days, right after he leaves day after tomorrow."

Robin and Alan looked at each other, before Robin looked back at Belle. "Can you find out more?"

She nodded. "I'll make sure we bump into each other, if that's what you're asking. I know you can appear anywhere, and I know I won't be able to get out of the castle after today, so can one of you meet me in my room tomorrow afternoon?"

"Why can't you get out?" Alan asked.

"I didn't tell anyone I was leaving, I'll be punished for it." She told them.

"How?" Alan asked.

"It's not usually too bad, house arrest for a few days." She told them.

"I'm not being funny, but what if you got roughed up by an outlaw?" Alan asked.

She raised her eyebrows for a second. "Some of me wants to find out." She got off her horse. "Make it look real." She held out her arms from her body.

"You didn't bring your knives today." He noticed as he pulled some of her hair out of her braid.

"I'll leave this to you." Robin said, before diving into the trees.

"Are you going to take one earring or both."

"I was thinking both." He told her. "You're not fond of them, are you?"

"Guy gave them to me, I think they're too gaudy. Be sure to take the necklace too, the worst gift my aunt ever gave me." She told him.

His face was close to hers, and he looked into her eyes when he spoke. "I would like to kiss you."

"I would like you to kiss me." She replied.

So he did, as he took off her necklace, and putting his hand in her hair, messing it up further.

A little while later, when she got back on her horse. "Oh, and you can kiss me any time." She told him.

"I plan to take advantage of that."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't." Her hand was on his cheek, before she smiled, and kicked her horse into a trot, then a canter. Wanting to make it look real.

She arrived in the courtyard, crying, giving on of the Guards her horse as her father came down the stairs, Guy following him.

"Where have you been?" He yelled, before he saw her face, as she went towards him to embrace him as she cried. "What happened?"

"Outlaws," she cried. "In the forest. I was upset and didn't even notice them until it was too late, Papa." She knew then she had him in the palm of her hand, that's what she used to call him as a small child, and only reserved it for when she was either scared or sad, like she was turning back into her child self.

"Robin Hood?"

She nodded, hiding her face, in her father's shoulder.

"Gisborne!" He called, careful not to yell in his daughter's ear. "Take Belle to her room, and see if she has any injuries, I will be there soon."

Belle was happy she took a knife from Alan to scratch her arm with, though he wasn't when he stopped her.

It was probably still bleeding, he made her sit in a chair at her desk and called to one of the servants to get a bowl of water and a cloth.

He cleaned the scratch, which she thought she just nicked her skin, but she actually got a good cut in her.

"Why did you leave?" He asked her, as he wiped away the blood.

"I'm not so trusting, I know when things are going on, I thought you knew that." She said. "You don't, so I got mad and needed to clear my head."

"So you blame me." He said.

"Not for this." She told him, gesturing to her hurt arm. "I'm fine, it's just a scratch anyway." She took the cloth from him and held it to her arm to stop the bleeding. "You may go."

"Are you dismissing me?" He asked, incredulously.

"Yes," she told him, looking him straight in the eye, trying to see which was dominate. Of course it was her.


	4. Chapter 4

"How do you play?" She asked the Duke, or as he told her to call him, Frederick.

"You wish to know how to gamble?" He asked.

"I wish to find the attraction to it." She replied. "I don't see why someone could lose all their money from playing a game, wouldn't they get bored? Don't you get bored?"

"Not as easily as you might think." He told her, before explaining what to do, showing her how to roll the dice, and things like that.

After a while, she excused herself, to go try to find out where Guy and her father had went. She went into the part of the castle she shouldn't be, and ran into two guards.

"Hello, Lady Belle." One said.

"Hello," she said, trying to move passed him, but he wouldn't let her. "Can I get through?"

"No one is allowed through miss." He said, advancing on her. "You look very pretty today." He told her, his eyes wandering over her chest, which was showing some skin today. "How about a kiss?"

"How about no." She replied, standing a little taller. "Have you forgotten who I am?"

"I already know you're with the Deputy." He said, grabbing her arm.

Before she could even punch him, the man was on the ground, the same with the other guard.

She looked to see Frederick standing beside her.

"Thank you." She heard Guy and her father coming, so she took his hand, and pulled him into a large room with a map of England on a table. "We can't be seen here." Belle pulled him behind a pillar as Guy and her father came in.

"After that booby loses tonight we will have enough money for the Black Knights." Her father bragged.

"What if he doesn't lose?" Guy replied.

Even though Belle couldn't see her father, she could tell that he was smiling.

"You thought about that, didn't you?"

Belle pressed her hands to her face.

"All eventualities have the house winning." Sheriff Vaisey said.

Belle's eyes went to Frederick, who was shaking his head.

After Guy and the Sheriff left, Frederick spoke.

"Does he not think his reputation has not made it to all of Europe?" He seethed.

"What are you going to do?" Belle asked.

"Leave, I will be struck by a sudden illness and my people and I shall leave." He told her.

"Don't," she told him. "Help me."

"Why?" He asked.

"I'm not one of the Sheriff's lackeys. I may be his daughter, but I'm a prisoner here. I have some friends that want to relieve the Sheriff of his money, just meet them and make your choice."

He chewed on his cheek for a moment. "Fine, how do me meet these friends of yours?"

"So you know where they live?" He asked when they were on their horses an hour later.

"I'm actually hoping they'll find us." She told him honestly.

"Well, what do we have here?" Robin said, coming out of the trees.

"He robbed me this morning." The Duke said.

"He'll give it back if this works." Belle told him.

"I will?" Robin asked.

Belle gave him a look. "Frederick here wants to help you get into my father's strongroom."

"Why?"

"He plans not to play fair." Frederick told him.

"You need to get into the strongroom tonight." Belle told Robin.

"No, we're not ready." Will said.

"If not tonight, don't try at all, it's being emptied tomorrow." Belle told him.

"Do you have a plan?" Alan asked.

Belle nodded.

"Be safe." Frederick told Belle, kissing her hand. "If you are ever in Germany my castle is always open to you."

"Thank you." She told him. "Be sure to stay off the main roads."

She took a step away from the carriage, and it was off. She waved for a second, before hurrying into her room, where she found Alan.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, quickly closing the door behind her. "If you were caught here."

"You said that someone should sneak into the castle so you could talk to them." He reminded her.

"That was before we went into the forest." She said. "This is just reckless."

"Reckless but," he leaned down to kiss her. "I don't think you mind."

She kissed him back. "You're a fool."

"You like it." He told her.

They kissed again.

There was a banging on the door. "Belle!" It was Guy.

They broke apart.

"How did you get in here?" She asked.

"Window." He told her.

"Can you get out? You'll be killed if you're found." She turned her head and called to the door. "A minute please!" She pushed Alan towards the window, before pressing a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll try to get out of here tomorrow morning."

"I'll hold you to that," he told her, getting out of the window, and grabbing the rope to climb down.

She laughed quietly. "Go!"

He smiled up at her as we went down the rope.

She shook her head, wiping the smile on her face as she went to the door, and opened it. "Hello Guy."

"Where is Frederick?" He asked.

"After I was dismissed, I came straight here. I have no idea." She lied.

"All the money is gone." He told her. "Robin Hood robbed your father tonight."

"Did he?" Belle's eyebrows came together. "That's terrible."

He searched her face for a sign of something, but found nothing but concern.

"Is my father okay?"

"He seems to think I upset you earlier today."

"You did." She told him. "Now if you don't mind, I would like to be alone."

"Did you tell him?"

"Why does it matter? Nothing matters here. If you want to know though, no. I did not." She told him. "Do I have to tell you to leave again?"

"I won't until you kiss me." He told her.

She rolled her eyes, and put her hand on his shoulder, allowing him to kiss her for barely more than five seconds, before breaking away. "Goodnight."

"Now, Belle, that doesn't count." He told her.

She was too tired to argue, so she let him kiss her, she let him suck on the side of her neck, she left him pull her body against his to feel her curves against his body, she let him touch her. She just let him.

She was able to get him to leave after a few minutes of it, hating herself for it.

She didn't lie to herself. Guy was a good looking man, he was strong and beautiful dark blue eyes. She used to have a crush on him when she was younger too. But you don't judge a man on his looks, or how he treats you, you judge him on how he treats his inferiors. Guy did not meet her expectations.

She knew she was just having a fling with Alan, but she liked going against what her father would want, and with someone who would be honest with her. She was sixteen years old and needed her little rebellion.

This was her little rebellion.

Weeks later, Belle was happier than she had ever been before. She had to wear her hair down to cover the love bites on her neck and collarbone from Guy. Once she even tricked him into believing they were from him. She was rather proud of herself for that one.

"What if I told you that I had enough money to take you away from here?" Alan asked, playing with her hair. Her head was in his lap, laying on the grass and soaking up the sun.

"I'd wonder why you would want to." She whispered.

"Because I like you."

"Then I would ask if you were serious." She said, opening one eye to look at him.

"I am."

"If I run away I can't stay in this part of England. My father would tear the world apart to find me." She told him, sitting up to look him in the eye. "Would you be willing to do that?"

He nodded. "I don't have the money to do that yet, though."

"Do you want to do that?" She asked, skeptically. "Leave all this behind, go somewhere and set up a normal life? No more running about in the woods?"

"Yeah."

She sighed. "I can't. I'm needed here."

"You might not always be." He told her. "In the meantime, I'll save enough money."

"You don't have to do this." She told him. "I'm not the kind of girl to ask a man to do this."

"Which is why I want to." He told her. "I love you."

That made her eyes flash to his. "I love you too." And she did.

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	5. Chapter 5

"There's a traitor in my camp." Robin told her, when she was in the market the next day. His hood was up so she couldn't see his face.

"How do you know?" She whispered, pretending to look at a dress.

"The information you gave me, about the spy who is going to tell the sheriff where King Richard is making port didn't show." He whispered to her.

"I didn't lie." She told him, trying not to move her lips.

"I know you didn't, which is why I'm telling you to be careful, and at the first sign of trouble run to the woods. Light a candle at your window tonight to show that you're all right. I will find you when I have more news." He told her, before disappearing into the crowd.

A traitor in the camp? There was no way, they were all too loyal for their own good, of that's what Belle thought.

She bought the dress she was holding, and went back to the castle, hoping to find out more. She didn't, though she did find out that the traitor met at the inn with Guy. She needed to find Robin, but was happy to find Marian instead. She told her everything, she told her to find Robin and tell him.

Belle went into her room that night, awaiting word from Robin or Marian, or whoever Robin sent to tell her. She was a little tipsy from all the wine she drank because she was anxious of the result.

She gasped when she saw Alan standing behind the door.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, hitting his arm. "You scared me to death!"

"Sorry," he told her. "I was just wondering if I could stay here tonight."

"Why?"

"It's kind of uncomfortable there right now." He told her. "Nothing funny, I just don't want to either be on wet grass or there."

"Okay." She told him. "Why is it so uncomfortable at the camp?" She asked, fishing for some information about who the traitor was, or if they found out who yet.

"Uh, nothing important." He told her.

She nodded, turning away. "Okay, we'll I'm going to get changed." She walked into her bathing chamber, heart racing. Not because she would be sharing a room with a man-it wasn't the first time-but because she suddenly thought it was worse than before. How bad was the betrayal? So bad that Alan didn't feel comfortable to stay there?

She took her hair out of the complicated bun at the base of her neck, and put it in a braid to sleep in, and changed into her nightdress, white silk.

When she came back out he said. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, the bed's big enough for two." She told him, getting in on one side. "Goodnight."

"Belle!" Robin said, the next morning. "What are you doing?"

She opened her eyes, before the glare of the sun made her groan. A hand went up to shield her eyes. "What is it, Robin?"

"I found out the traitor." He told her. "He's sleeping beside you."

Belle sat straight up, and pushed the arm that was on her off, along with the whole man, off the side of the bed.

"Wha-"

"You betrayed them?" Belle asked, getting up out of the bed. "What, was I next?"

"What?" Alan asked, getting up and looking between her and Robin. "No, no!"

"Get out!" She told him quietly, dangerously quiet.

"Belle no, you have to listen to me!" He pleaded. "I did it for you! The money was going to our life together!"

She looked at him, her expression between heartbroken and disgust. "I don't even want it anymore."

"Belle-"

"Get out." She told him.

"Be-"

"Get out before I yell for help." She told him. "Last warning."

He looked over his shoulder, out the window, before going out of it, knowing she wasn't bluffing, and in no mood to speak to him right now. He had to make it up to her.

"Are you all right?" Robin asked. "I know you liked him."

She wasn't willing to feel pain over some man now. "I will get over it. I will never feel for someone who is a coward or a traitor."

"You can't always choose who to feel for." He told her. "I can make sure he stays away from you if you like."

She shook her head. "He won't, if I know his character at all I know he will be sure to avoid me for a while. When he does show his face around me again, I will be indifferent." She held up her chin high, beautiful even with a messy braid and in her nightgown, her eyes still somewhat sleepy, though she stood tall, as if ready to fight.

"Should I tell Marian to come here?" Robin asked.

The stone wall around her crumbled a bit as her demeanor shifted to one of hurting. "Yes, please."

He nodded. "I'll see you later, Belle. If he does sell you out I will come for you and help you escape."

"Thank you." She said. "I will try to have more news for you next time we meet."

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	6. Chapter 6

Days later is when she saw Alan again. She was told to stay in her room while the Black Knights were there, though she did collect little bits of information she was able to send through Marian to Robin Hood. She made sure whenever Alan was near her he wouldn't be able to speak to her. Though mostly the only man whom she wasn't related to that she spoke to often was Guy.

"Belle, are you all right?" Guy asked her as she sat by the window in one of the rooms, daydreaming.

She turned towards him. "Yes, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"You." She lied easily, not feeling like telling the truth.

He kneeled next to her so she was taller than him, she put a hand on his cheek, pushing his hair away from his face. She fell in love with a man much like him, dishonest, and after money and power, but showed kindness to her. Maybe she should give in to her fate and just try to be happy with this man. It seemed the only man she could get was like him, so why even try to find a man who was kind to others? What was the point? Maybe one day she could turn him into a good man. Maybe she could show him how to be a good man.

Guy leaned up and kissed her. She wouldn't lie to herself and say she disliked him kissing her. She could tell by them that he wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. She liked the way he always took off his gloves when she was around so if there was a chance of him touching her it would be skin-to-skin and no barrier between them. She liked the way he didn't touch her like she was breakable, he knew better than that. She liked the way he would kiss her under her ear and make her let out a little moan. She liked how this man could make her body want him when her mind would always said no to him. She liked that he wanted her, she liked that she could say one word and this man of power would try to fulfill her wishes.

So when he pulled away for a second, and said. "Marry me." She only hesitated a moment. "Yes."

A smile broke across her face before he kissed her, feeling ecstatic though she felt numb.

"Giz?" Alan walked in looking as numb as Belle felt. "The sheriff-er-wants you."

"Can't you see I'm preoccupied?" Guy asked him.

Belle put a smile on her face, and stroked his cheekbone with her thumb. "Go ask my father's permission, it's easier than asking for his blessing." Why was she helping him? Was it to get rid of him, or was it because she wanted to marry him? She didn't know. "He won't say no to you."

He took her hand and kissed it. "Wait for me?"

"I will stay right here." She promised him. "Don't be long."

"I won't." He told her, standing up and leaving the room.

Alan kept looking at her.

"Don't look at me like that." She told him, leaning against the cold wall.

"You love me." He told her.

"No, I loved the man who I thought you were." She corrected. "It doesn't matter, it's over now."

"It does matter, I never lied to you." He told her, coming closer to her, but she stood up and walked to the other side of the room, him following her, not letting over ten feet between them. He tried to touch her shoulder, but she turned around, trying to back hand him in the process, but he caught her wrist.

"Now, Love, don't do that." He said, catching her other wrist before she slapped him, and pinning her between the wall and his body.

She jutted her chin out stubbornly. "Get off of me."

"No," he told her. "Not until you listen to me."

She wiggled against him, trying to find some give. Even though she was strong for a woman, the man in front of her was still stronger and held her with little difficulty.

"I will never listen to you, now get off me." She told, him trying to push against him, or get her legs free enough to knee him. "I know what you did-what you've done, and I don't want to be a part of it. You've chosen your path and I've chosen mine."

He looked her in the eyes, finding loathing and sadness in them. He kissed her.

This wasn't one of the gentle sweet kisses that he usually gave her, this one was passionate and desperate, trying to get her to admit that she still loved him.

She didn't kiss him back, instead she kneed him in the groin. He doubled over and groaned.

"Don't you ever touch me. You've lost that privilege." She stalked away, before stopping a few feet away. "I could have you hanged for what you just did. Know that you owe me more than anyone else." Then she left, hiding behind a pillar until he left the room, then went back into the room as if nothing happened.

"Alan A'Dale, you owe me." She muttered, willing herself not to cry until tonight. She had promised herself the day after she cried that she would never cry over him again. She should have known it wouldn't be as easy as that.

She pulled her hair out of the bun it was in, not caring if it wasn't proper for someone of her standing, she just wanted to be free of the headaches from the pins, maybe then it would reduce the ones she had gotten from stress.

She waited until Guy came back in, the smirk on his face turning into a smile when he saw her.

"What did he say?" She asked. "Was I right, or was I right?"

"You were right." He told her. "If you say yes he wants us married by winter."

Belle nodded, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "That doesn't give me much time."

"To do what?"

"Make a man out of you."  
"You never did tell me what that meant." He told her.

"Come," she told him. "I have much to show you."

"Wait here," she told him, handing him the reins to her horse. "Just watch."

They were just outside of Locksley, but she made him stay out, the children wouldn't come to her if he was near her.

She took her cloth bag that had bread in it, and found one of the ten year old girls, who was singing to her baby brother, joining in to the song, and sitting next to them. The birds stopped singing to listen to Belle's voice.

Belle whispered something into the girl's ear, and the girl handed Belle the baby before running off somewhere.

Guy liked the way she looked holding the baby, knowing that probably within the year she would be pregnant with one if not holding one. His baby.

She rocked the baby back and forth, and Guy could hear her singing from where she was, a slow lullaby that had a tinge of sadness in it. Where did she learn such a one?

The girl returned with a group of children, all lining up around her, looking around to make sure she was alone, and not with Guy. She talked to them a little bit, the children raised their hands and she would call on them, let them answer her questions like they were at a school. This lasted for about an hour, she handed them each little things, and he could tell she called them all by name. One boy got gloves, a girl got a dress Belle had bought the week before, and so on, but all of them went home with something, including a small loaf of bread.

Guy always knew that she loved children, he often caught her scolding a child for stealing as if she was their mother before apologizing to the grocer and paying for what the child took, as well as more before giving it to the child to take home. He never knew that she would do this, riding an hour just to teach children and give them what they need. He watched her take out a slip of paper and write something down whenever a child would say something. A list?

When she came back she looked stronger than ever, the empty bags over her shoulders, and a confident look in her eye.

"What do you think?" She asked, challenging him to tell her she couldn't do this.

"If your father finds out-"

"He won't. Even if he does he won't do anything to me." Belle told him.

"Yes, he will." Guy told her. "He's been displeased with you these last weeks."

Shock appeared on her face. "What?"

"Even when I asked for your hand he said that if you said know I could still have you." Guy told her. "He can't find out about this."

She swallowed. "No."

"If you hadn't been attacked by outlaws when you left you would have been put through worse than house arrest, Belle." He told her. "He knows you help the poor."

"How?"

Guy looked away.

"You-you told him?" Belle pressed a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe this."

"I thought it was a faze!" He said.

"Well it's not!" She told him. "I'm going to do this until I'm dead, I'm going to help other people, defy my father, break any unjust law until I die. No one can stop me. Not even you."

"I have to." He told her. "It's my job."

She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "Then I refuse to marry you. I will run off and do something stupid, and you will never see me again. You try to force me to marry you, I'll be dead before we are ever married, if you try to stop me, I will find some way to take my life, you will have to force me without a dagger or sword, because I will impale myself on them. Do you want to know what I meant by becoming a man? It's what I'm doing right now. I am standing up for who I am and what I believe, I'm not letting anyone else tell me what to do. Want to try it? Stop being my father's spaniel and grow a pair."

He looked affronted by her crude language, as well as her threats to kill herself.

"Where did you learn to talk like that?" He asked.

"Around." She said. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to tell anyone." He told her. "You will marry me, and you can do what you like, as long as you come home to me, and you don't do it in Nottingham Town."

"I can agree to it." She replied. "But will you ever stand up to my father?"

He paused.

"He's just going to use you." She told him. "Like he used my mother, I know he wanted a son. He uses you to get what he wants, don't think that's going to change."

"It's my road to power, don't you want me to have power?" He asked, trying to get her to see.

"I would rather have you stand up for what you believe." She told him. "I don't care for money, just because my father as well as you buy me pretty things doesn't mean I need them."

"I will try." He told her. "But I am not jeopardizing my career when it doesn't need to be."

"I can live with that." She nodded.

A silence followed that, they searched the other's face for something, neither knowing what they were looking for.

"Do you do this in all the towns?" He asked.

"No, just Locksley," she told him.

"Why?"

"All the other towns have lords that care for them." She muttered, looking down at her hands.

He wasn't willing to admit that what she said stung a bit.

"They loved Robin, I hear stories all the time about things he has done. They still need to believe that nobles have souls, I gave them it." She explained. "At first they wouldn't talk to me, then Elizabeth talked to me, and I helped teach Kate, now when she doesn't help her mother she helps me teach. It's good to make a difference for the better in someone's life, it makes me feel like I'm making a difference, and I am."

"So you want to change the world. Belle..." he groaned.

"No, you can't tell me I'm not, or it's ridiculous. It's good." She told him with more passion than she had ever said with anything before. "I'm helping children understand things, and read, and write, arithmetic too."

"You can't change the world, Belle."

"No, but I can change Locksley." She replied.

"To have them overqualified to do their jobs?" He replied.

"It doesn't matter, with the tools I give them they might be able to make something more with their life." Belle said. "Everyone should be able to use these skills, someday everyone will."

"Are you so positive?" He asked. "I doubt it."

"I don't want to argue about that, it's irrelevant." She replied. "We've agreed to the other's terms, Locksley will be happy to see me as the mistress of the manor, you should be happy about that."

"Ecstatic." He replied.

She held out her hand to shake on it. "No one knows, deal?"

"We get married in a month, deal?"

"Deal."

They shook on it.


	7. Chapter 7

Belle was riding in the woods a few days later, finally able to get away from the castle to see Djaq, instead she found Little John.

"John," she said, getting off her horse before it even stopped. "I haven't much time, I need to speak to Djaq."

"She's over the hill." He told her, pointing to his left. "What's your hurry?"

"I have to be at Knighton soon to speak to Marian." She told him. "I need to be back to the castle by dark." She got back on her horse. "Thank you."

She got her horse to a gallop and hurried until she found Djaq.

"I need your help." She told her. "I'm marrying Guy within the month."

"How can I help with that?" Djaq asked.

"I need something to stop me from getting pregnant. Please tell me you can get something."

"I can," she told her. "When is your wedding?"

"Three weeks from yesterday." She told her. "Please tell me I won't get pregnant."

"You won't." She promised. "I have herbs. I can have it ready by next week, you need to take it everyday at least starting a week before your wedding night."

Belle nodded. "I can do that." She took a deep breath.

"Now, why are you marrying him?"

"Safety." Belle told her. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"Belle..."

"I can handle it." She told Djaq. "But I don't need to get pregnant any time soon, so I need something to stop that."

"Belle, is this because of Alan?" She asked.

Belle shook her head, sadly. "No, this is about my father wanting me to be punished for something every teenager does, and Guy will protect me from that."

Djaq nodded. "Do you want me to tell Robin?"

Belle nodded. "Tell him that I'll still try to get information if it is possible, but I don't really know what's going to happen."

"Is Alan giving you any trouble?" She asked.

"No," Belle lied. "No, he has not."

"You're marrying Guy of Gisborne?" Marian groaned. "How did this happen?"

"My father said he could take me if I was willing or not." Belle told her. "I thought it would be better if I was willing. I might be able to get more out of it."

"How are you fine with this?" Marian asked.

"He has qualities." Belle replied, getting desperate for her to see.

"Like?"

"He has wealth, I think his feelings for me are genuine-"

"All superficial." Marian dismissed. "What if he whips you? What if he hits you? What if you only give him daughters?"

"I need to think of the good things, Marian." She begged. "Help me think of more."

Marian put a hand on the younger girl's knee. "He's easy to look at, your children will be beautiful."

Belle nodded. "He's okay with me teaching the children of Lockley to read and write."

"Really? So you told him?" Marian asked.

"I showed him." Belle replied. "He watched for nearly an hour from the trees."

"You made him hide?" Marian asked incredulously.

"The children are frightened of him, they wouldn't come out if he was around." Belle told her. "If there is one thing you can manipulate a man with, it is a child. Even if they only lust for you and see you holding a baby they will adore you."

"So you want to have children?"

"Not any time soon. Djaq is getting me herbs to stop me from getting pregnant." Belle told her. "I don't need to bring a baby into this world, I know I don't have to tell you why."

"I have to agree." Marian nodded. "What about...what about the wedding night."

Belle closed her eyes. "I know it's going to hurt. I know that." She opened them, her eyes meeting Marian's. "The only question is will he be nice about it or cruel."

"Are you going to ask him that?" Marian asked.

"Yes, I am." Belle told her. "I am not some blushing bride."

"I know you're not." Marian muttered. "So how is the traitor doing?"

"Fine," she said, playing with the skirt of her dress. "He kissed me last week, and got a bruise for it."

"Nothing since then?"

Belle shook her head. "I think he has gotten the message."

"You know how to do that well." Marian agreed.

Belle nodded. "I'm going to tell Guy that I don't want him hanging around our manor when we are wed."

"Does he?"

"Apparently he sleeps in the guest rooms." Belle told her, standing up. "It's sunset. I have to get back to the castle."

"You can stay here for the night." Marian told her.

Belle shook her head. "I have my first dress fitting in the morning, and Guy will be worried."

"You don't want to do this do you?" Marian asked.

"I haven't a choice. What's done is done. This is the repercussions for it." Belle smoothed her dress. "Will you come to the wedding?"

Marian shook her head. "It is not the memory I would like to have."

Belle took her hand and squeezed it. "Thank you. The less witnesses the better."

"What of your father?" Marian asked. "What have you done to upset him?"

"Kindness." Belle replied. "Kindness is weakness and therefor must be distinguished."

"That's an awful thing to say."

"I think so too." Belle agreed. "I will see you soon."

"Very soon."

Belle is marrying another man, and it was something Alan did not like.

He was sent by Guy to get her from her dress fitting, and that was just too hard to see. It was a green gown that brought out the gold in her hair and eyes, a veil that blurred her face from the world, but he could still see her lips, which were painted bright red, and he could tell her lips are slightly parted.

"Lady Belle?" He says.

Her eyes flash to look at his reflection in the mirror, her lips turning into a frown. "What are you doing here?"

"Giz sent me to get you, you're needed at the castle." He told her.

"I was not the one that planned this." She scolded. "If they wanted me at the castle this morning they should have changed the fitting to another time."

"It doesn't matter." Alan said.

"Wait outside, I must get changed."

He left her, watching her over his shoulder as she took off the veil, and picked up the skirts to get off the stool, before he couldn't see anymore.

Belle took off the dress, getting into her other one. She personally loved the dress, at least she would look beautiful at her wedding if nothing else.

She had a gold ring on her ring finger, with little green stones embedded into the band. When Guy first gave it to her if felt like a thousand pounds, now she was used to the weight, and that scared her more than anything. She had given up, resigned to her fate, and let it control her life. She hated cowardice, and now she was being a coward.

The seamstresses told her they would sent the dress over to the castle for the wedding on Saturday. She thanked them and went on her way, finding Alan leaning against the wall.

"You look beautiful." He told her.

She ignored him, walking towards the castle.

"You shouldn't be marrying him." He told her.

"And you shouldn't be following me around." She replied. "I've made my choice, it's not like you can change it, or Robin, or Marian. Even if you tried you would just get hanged for it."

"You wouldn't change your decision given the chance?" He asked.

"That is none of your business, Alan." She told him. "You are Guy's lapdog, you do what he tells you, and I take it he sent you to collect me instead of waiting the half hour until I would have returned anyway."

"Yeah," he said. "That's it."

She didn't respond to him. She didn't like walking so close to him, he would not let more than a foot between them.

"You haven't talked to me in weeks, you know that?" He said.

"I wonder why," she sarcastically said back. "Nothing to do with being a traitor."

"I did it-" he stopped to look around, before lowering his voice for only her to hear. "I did it for you."

"I never asked you to, I would never ask you to." She told him. "I would have rather run away and lived in the forest for the rest of my life. Tried to be a part of Robin's gang without my father knowing more than just me running away."

"You said you couldn't."

"Doesn't mean I didn't want to." She replied as they came up to the castle. "Where are they? Guy, I mean." She asked, not looking at him though she spoke to him.

He told her where.

"Goodbye Alan." She dismissed him, going to find Guy in the stables. "What are you doing here?"

"I am taking you out for the day." He told her.

"What is the occasion?" She asked, as he helped her get on a horse behind him.

"We are getting married in two days." He said. "I thought you would like to see the lands."

"I've seen your lands, Guy." She replied. "What are we really doing?"

"I'm showing you the house." He told her, kicking his horse into a walk.

"All right." She replied, putting her arms around his chest, and hiding her face behind his shoulder. "I'll just find out when I get there."

He really did end up showing her the house, and meet their servants. When they were in the stables, she turned to him. "Are you going to still be nice to me after we are married?"

"Yes, of course," he replied, confused. "Why?"

"I don't want to be beaten and abused the rest of my life." She told him. "It's going to hurt on our wedding night." She said, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Please don't make it hurt more than it has to."

He gently took her hand, making her turn towards him, and though she tried not to show it, he could see the fear in her eyes. "I won't ever hurt you."

"Do you promise?" She asked, her childlike side coming out.

"I promise," he told her, leaning down to kiss her. Trying to sooth her fears.

It didn't.


	8. Chapter 8

Belle spent the night before her wedding in her room. She had asked for a large amount of wine, but nothing to eat. She knew she couldn't eat, so she drank, hoping to forget for a few hours.

Her dress was lain on the chair in her room, taunting her. She wasn't upset anymore about who she was marrying, just that she was getting married, at sixteen. Which wasn't uncommon, she just hoped that she would be like Marian-independent, with a father who didn't force her to marry.

She drank until her mind was foggy, and she had no filter on her mouth, but no one came in to see her, nor did she go out to see anyone. She didn't even like the taste after a while, it was just for the foggy feeling in her head. She started laughing at some point, she couldn't control it, if there were any guards they probably thought she had gone insane, but she didn't care, she just kept laughing until she could barely breathe, falling into a drunken sleep.

She was awoken by two servants who were to get her ready late the next morning, she had a headache, and could tell by where the sun was it was late morning. Her wedding was in a few hours. She was ushered to a hot bath by the two older women that was fragranced with rose petals.

They towel dried her long hair until it was nearly dry, then they started to pin it up quietly, as the other used red dye to paint her lips and a black one to trace around her eyes.

It probably took hours to get her ready, but to her it felt like minutes. Soon she was being ushered into a carriage. Not even her father was going to be there. He had something better to do. So it looks like most of Locksley will be the witnesses of this. She didn't know if it was a comfort or not though. Would the children that adored her cry? Would they understand why she was marrying this hated man? Would they still come to her classes and accept the food and clothes she would give them? She was already the Sheriff's daughter, that fact couldn't be worse marrying Guy, would it? Could it?

It was hard to see with the lace of the veil over her eyes, but she could tell that many of the children were waiting for her, as well as one Guy of Gisborne.

She got out of the carriage, and walked up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"You look beautiful." He told her.

"Thank you," she said, smoothing her dress. "You're not supposed to be here."

He was taken aback. "Who is?"

"You're supposed to be in the church waiting for me." She told him. "Haven't you been to a wedding before?"

"Right," he said.

"Go on, and wait for me there, I will be there in a moment." She told him, before watching him walk away.

She looked to the sky, the sun was out still, and she quietly said. "Mother, give me strength." She often talked like that, like her mother could hear her, but she honestly did think her mother was dead. Who would leave their child with someone like her father?

A four year old child came up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. It was Timothy from her classes.

"Don't marry that bad man," He said, hiding his face in her stomach as his mother came towards them.

"Sorry, Lady Belle," she said. "Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive." She said, squatting to look into Timothy's eyes. "It's going to be okay." She told him, hugging the small child to her. "I'll have another class on Tuesday." She promised, releasing the child, who was crying. "Don't cry, love." She told him. "Promise me you won't cry." She hugged him again. "Don't cry." She picked up the child, and handed him to his mother.

"You're the one that's been teaching them?" The mother asked.

Belle nodded. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all." The mother told her taking her hand. "I'm sorry that you have to do this."

Belle smiled. "Don't be, this is for the better of all."

"Of you or us?" She asked.

Belle just keeps smiling in response. "I have to go."

"Of course, thank you, Lady Belle." The lady bowed, and left her.

"Come to the feast!" She called after her. "There is plenty for everyone."

"Thank you."

Hours later Belle stared at the bed as she took off her veil, and unpinned her hair, it fell in waves around her from being pinned up all day. She went to a mirror, and put the pins on the table beneath it. She looked in the mirror, taking deep breaths as she watched her chest puff up as she inhaled.

Guy came in and looked at her a moment before standing behind her and putting her hair over one shoulder before putting his arms around her waist.

"My wife."

She smiled. "My husband."

He started kissing her neck, she closed her eyes and leaned into him as she felt him loosen the ties on her dress. She stretched her neck to the side to give him more access to it.

"Try to enjoy it." One of her maids had whispered to her. "It's better if you do."

Belle took comfort in the fact that she had been taking whatever herb Djaq had given her so she wouldn't get pregnant.

She felt him push the dress off her, trailing it slowly down her arms. When it was off her she turned to face him, only in a shift and put her hands on his chest, nervously looking into his eyes.

She got on her toes to kiss him, as her hands went down his chest, undoing the clasps on his jacket as they made a trail down to his abdomen. Unable to stop herself from feeling his strong body beneath her fingers, feeling the contours of his chest.

She pushed the jacket off his shoulders with a little help from him, his shirt underneath it following.

Guy got a little more confident with her actions, and pulled her close to him, her hands having no where to go put around his neck as they kissed. He picked her up by her hips, she straddled him, and hooked her ankles together to keep herself up.

He carried her to the bed, his hands on her thighs before going up to her ass as her nails bit into his shoulder as she tried to get even closer to him than she was already.

Belle found herself wanting to sleep with her husband, something not many women around her did. She liked that her skin felt like it was on fire by his touch, and she craved more.

He laid her on the bed not as gracefully as he would have liked, but as soon as she wasn't hooked around him her fingers went to work on the ties of his pants. Some part of his mind wondered where she had found out how to untie them, but he quickly forgot when he was released from the bindings.

Belle bit her lip, wondering how he was going to fit inside her as he pushed his pants the rest of the way off, joining their other clothes on the floor, her shift following, before he appeared over her, close but not yet touching. He kissed her, and she felt his hand go down her body to a place no man has touched. He could feel her muscles tighten to try to stop her from snapping her thighs together.

"It helps," he whispers to her, kissing down her cheek to her jaw. "Trust me." He felt her nod and he felt her wetness on his fingers. He hesitantly put one finger inside her, surprised by how tight she was, his finger could barely fit. He moved his finger in and out of her, feeling her relax and move with him. He kissed his way down her neck and chest, kissing her breasts and making her moan softly.

He got off of her withdrawing his finger from her, making her get on her elbows to look at him in a way to ask him why he stopped.

He guided himself to her enterance. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, rising her hips a little higher so it was easier for him to get inside. He inched in, little by little, watching her face for a sign of distress. It wasn't until he was almost completely inside of her that there was a flash of pain over her face as her muscles tightened.

He bent over her, kissing whatever skin he could reach. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He punctuated those words with a kiss. Apologizing for something he couldn't help.

"It's okay," she breathed when the pain dulled. "I'm okay." She moved with him, getting him deeper inside her.

He groaned. "You're so tight."

"Good or bad?" She whispered, as he moved all the way in her.

"Good-uh, very, very good." He said pulling most of the way out of her and pushing all the way back in.

The pain had dulled to near nonexistence, and she focused on the feel of him, on his kisses, on the pressure of his weight on her, it wasn't uncomfortable at all, and he was being gentle with her, always watching her face to make sure she wasn't in pain, how when she let out a moan he would kiss her harder until her climax came, her nails scraping down his back and with a low moan. He followed soon after.

He stayed on top of her, kissing her, with one hand playing with her hair on the pillows. Her hands were on his neck, keeping him close.

"I love you." He told her after he pulled away.

She pushed his hair back from his face, and kissed him lightly. "I love you too."

Little did Belle know that down the Hall, Alan had heard everything, and had taken all of his self control not to take her away. The wedding was one thing...but this, this was another.

He had completely lost her now.

Belle awoke the next morning with an ache between her legs, but couldn't find herself regretting it. He did everything she asked him to, and was sweet, she actually felt safe in this man's arms.

She opened her eyes and looked at his face, he looked younger while he was sleeping, and didn't scowl, he was even more handsome. She brushed a lock of his hair from his forehead and his dark blue eyes flashed open to hers.

She bit her lip, looking through her lashes up at him.

He bent his neck to kiss her. She kissed him back. He slowly rolled her over until she was on her back.

She broke away. "Not right now." She whispered.

He didn't only pause, but rolled off her. "What is wrong, Belle?"

"I am just a little sore," she told him, ignoring the slight blush that tinged her cheeks.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked, carefully.

She shook her head. "No, it's just a new feeling, I will be better later." She paused. "You-you were perfect." She looked up at him. "I'm not just saying that."


	9. Chapter 9

Monday morning Guy left to go to the castle, leaving Belle before she awoke.

She honestly did not know what to do, so she got dressed, and went to Knighton to see Marian. They didn't talk much at first, neither knowing what to say, mostly looked at each other, both trying to find a way to say what needed to be said, or bring up the elephant in the room.

"You got married." Marian finally said.

Belle nodded. "Yes, yes I did." She paused. "Alan was there."

Marian raised an eyebrow. "Did he cause any trouble?"

Belle shook her head. "Just looked a little ill the whole day. Is it bad that it was hard to see him like that?"

"You're empathetic, it's not a fault it's a virtue." Marian told her. "What about that night?"

"It was-it was good." She told her. "He was sweet. It wasn't bad like everyone makes it seem."

"You're lucky then," Marian told her. "He wants to please you."

"He loves me." Belle told her. "He said he does, at least."

"Before or after?"

"After."

"Another good thing." Marian said.

Belle nodded, but didn't say anything for a while, while trying to figure out how to ask her question. After a moment of thinking, she decided to be direct. "I don't know how to deal with Alan."

"What do you mean?" Marian asked.

"I'm just so confused by him, I tell him I don't want to see him, but he still hangs around. He's even staying in one of the bedrooms of the house since he has no where else to stay. I didn't know this until yesterday, and both of us don't want Guy to find out-"

"Why don't you want him to find out?" Marian asked.

"Well, for one if he did find out he would probably kill Alan, and another is that he would probably find out about my connections as well as yours because of it. You would probably be thrown into the dungeon, I will be at the mercy of my raging husband." Belle told her. "He cannot find out."

"Good reasoning." Marian said, clearly expecting a different response. "I didn't think I would be a victim if he found out."

"You're the only person I know with a connection to Robin." Belle shrugged. "It's not that far of a jump."

"No, I daresay it is not." Marian agreed.

"I won't let him find out about it, I promise." Belle told her. "He knows nothing about me or the Nightwatchman."

"Shadow." Marian corrected. "They started calling you that last week."

Belle laughed. "So I am a shadow."

"Well, they just know that a man in all black is around in the dead of night, leaving food on windowsills. I think a child started it in fact."

Belle smiled. "Me, a man." She shook her head.

"If you opened your mouth no one would know." Marian teased. "You sound too much like a woman."

"As do you. You used to even hit like one."

"Unlike you, who was trained from birth to be a killer." Marian replied.

"We both know my father wanted a boy." Belle said. "He was able to pretend until I reached the age of twelve. Even Guy noticed then."

"And then, just as you became of marrying age he asked your father to court you and for your hand a month later." Marian shook her head. "It seems that Guy of Gisborne had this planned."

"Probably," Belle agreed. "But the purpose I know not. Perhaps if he didn't love me I would just be like that servant girl was to him, or perhaps a carrier for his child."

"What if you do not give him a son?"

"We won't know until I decide I want one. Unless, of course, that the herb does not work." Belle told her. "I personally hope it does, I don't want the pain of childbirth just yet."  
"What if he expects a child within the year?" Marian replied.

"He will keep trying to get me pregnant, and I can't say I am not happy about it, he will not hit me because if I am carrying a child at the time I could lose it, and I am the only one that would not give him a bastard child. He will have to deal with it." Belle said.

Marian searched her friend for a sign of weakness, but finding none she smiled. "I give my best wishes to you, Belle of Gisborne."

"Belle?" Guy called late that night.

"Up here." Belle called back, while she was brushing her hair.

Guy appeared in the doorway.

"You're home late," she said, as she began to braid her hair. "I was just about to get in bed." She tied the end of her hair with a strip of cloth and turned around to look at him. "You usually leave-" but he broke her off with a kiss, pushing her against the wall, making her gasp.

_Bad day?_ She wanted to ask, but her lips were preoccupied.

He pulled her chemise up over her thighs until it was bunched up around her waist and picked her up by her thighs so she was straddling his hips. She put her hands on his shoulders to make sure she didn't fall and to hold some of her weight like that.

He undid the ties on his breeches and she felt his hard erection pushing against her. He guided himself inside her and pushed until he was all the way inside her. He broke his lips away from hers, trailing his down her neck.

"Bad day?" She asked, breathless as she ground her hips against his.

"Unbearable." He whispered, as he pulled out of her a bit before pushing all the way back into her, pressing her firmly against the wall.

She moaned each time her back was pushed against the wall with a _thud_, until he carried her onto the bed. She pushed his jacket and shirt off him then she rolled them over until she was on top with him still inside her, breaking the connection his lips had with her neck as she smiled down at him as she sat on top of him, her hands on his bare chest.

As she moved on him, he pulled her shift off her so she was fully exposed to him, her full breasts bouncing with her movements. Belle liked how he was watching her, it was sensual how his blue eyes watched her, darkened with lust. His hands were on her hips, bringing her down harder and harder on him as he moved his hips up to meet hers.

She kissed him before they came together, swallowing the other's moans, before she laid on his chest as they tried to catch their breath.

"What happened?" Belle asked, still breathing hard.

"Hood stole something." Guy told her. "Knocked out over half the guards doing it too."

"The pact?" Belle asked.

He looked at her, surprised she knew.

"Yes, I know. I can pick up on things easily, especially when neither you or my father is a good liar." She told him, turning her head to kiss his chest. "Alan though, he's pretty good, if you want someone to lie to me, he's the one to do it."

"So you're telling me how to lie to you now?" Guy replied. "What a good wife you are."

"Oh hush. I prefer that you wouldn't, but I know that there are a few things I do not want to know. I am not ignorant."

"I know you aren't. You're honest too, from the first time I tried to kiss you."

Belle laughed at the memory. "I called you old, correct?"

"Yes, you did. First time anyone had called me that."

"Not the last, though." Belle replied. "How does it feel to have a wife ten years your junior?"

"Great. By the time you're old I'll be blind and deaf." He told her.

She slapped his chest. "Behave." She rubbed where she slapped, before kissing it. "So when are is your next day off?"

"Sunday." He told her.

"Are you always going to be home this late?" She asked.

"At least tomorrow." He told her.

She nodded, tracing patterns on his chest. "Okay."

"But right now, I am all yours." He told her.

"All mine, huh?" She laughed. "What shall I do with you?"

He rolled her over, getting on her, holding most of his weight off her with his arms.

"Or what shall you do with me?" She went on, turning her head so he couldn't kiss her.

"I have a few ideas." He told her, giving up trying to kiss her lips, and going for her neck instead. "If you're willing."

"Always."

When she was handing out what the children needed after the class the next day, Kate came up to her. A plain looking girl with blonde hair, but was nice enough to Belle...most of the time.

"So, how's sleeping with the devil?" She asked.

Belle threw her a look, as she finished handing out the stuff. "He's not that bad."

"You don't have to pay taxes to him." Kate replied.

"True, and as you know I do not condone it. I'm just saying he's different when he's not working." She told her. "Come on, Kate. You're different around different people too. Don't deny it."

"I am not going to." Kate replied.

"Oh, and here." Belle said, handing her a bag full of food.

"Is your husband wondering why so much of the food is missing?"

"That is my worry, not yours." She told her. "I can take care of myself."

"I think you proved that by living through the night you got married." Kate told her.

"He's not bad all the time!" Belle replied.

"Taxes." Kate replied. "Which are supposed to be tomorrow, so after that I want you to look in everyone's eyes and say, 'he's not always bad' okay?"

Belle turned away from her. "Don't you have something better to do?"

"Scared to get a little honesty on you?" Kate replied.

"Did you not hear me tell you to go away?" Belle asked getting up. "Your presence is unwanted."

Kate smiled. "Have a good day, Lady Belle." She mock bowed before bouncing back to her house on the other side of the village.

Belle shook her head, and went back to her house, and sitting by the fire, she was lucky it wasn't frigidly cold out yet, but the fire was always nice. She pulled a blanket and sat on the floor like she did when she was a small child, staring into the fire as it warmed her face and hands and casting a golden glow on the whole room. The servants here had learned she overall did not need them to do much, so they left her alone, just doing their daily chores while the mistress of the manor stared into the fire with a blank expression.

Belle never liked people who would change their mood as quickly as the sun moves, but she still loved Guy, even though he was a jerk to everyone but her. She knew she loved him, because he did have a place in her heart, but she knew that she would not have some great love story like Marian and Robin's. She didn't have the choice to do that...well she did, but it wasn't meant to be, not like theirs was.

Belle dozed off, dreaming of her musings.

She was in the forest, it was mid afternoon, and she was alone, only the chirping of the birds to keep her company. She was in a white flowing dress, and was walking barefoot through the forest, but there was only soft grass beneath her feet. Maybe she wasn't in the forest at all; perhaps she was in a fantasy land where there was nothing to hurt her.

Guy came out from behind a large oak tree, and walked towards her, stopping in front of her, pushing her hair behind her ear, neither saying a word, his fingers traced her jawline, before he tilted her chin up so he could kiss her.

When he pulled away he was different, shorter with short brown hair and a scruffy face, his eyes a lighter blue, and his hands cradled her face in a loving way, holding her close to him.

"Alan," she whispered

"I'm not being funny." He whispered softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you."

She backed away from him and closed her eyes, and when she opened them she was back in her sitting room, and the fire got a new log on it while she was sleeping.

She stretched her back, getting a few cracks out of it, and stood up, folding up the blanket, and putting it on the chair before finding Alan standing in the doorway.

"Hi," she said.

"You said my name." He said.

"No, I didn't." She said, her eyebrows going together in confusion.

"Yes, you did." He said. "When you were sleeping, you said my name."

"So?" She replied. "I know other Alan's."

"Who?"

"None come to mind right now." She said, looking down at her hands, her fingers were twisting together.

"Not even the one you dreamed about?" He replied.

She threw him a look that begged him not to go on.

He looked at her for a moment, and her at him, until he took three large steps towards her and kissed her, not expecting her to kiss him back but hoping she would.

She did for a minute, before breaking away. "Where's Guy?"

"He's staying at the castle tonight." He whispered to her, a little jealous that she was thinking about another man, but wasn't willing to show it.

"Good," she whispered back, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

He couldn't believe it, she was kissing him again, she was dreaming about him, and only asked where her husband was to make sure that they weren't caught. Her husband. His boss. He was kissing his boss's wife. This was not good, but couldn't find himself caring, until she pulled away again, taking a step backward and breaking their embrace.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, seeming on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm married." She told him.

"But you love me." He told her.

She shook her head. "It's not enough." She told him. "It's too little too late, we had our chance, and it passed us by. I'm so sorry."

"But you don't love him." Alan told her.

"Yes, I do." She told him. "I love him. I know he's done awful things...but so have you. I will always love you in some way, Alan A'Dale, but I can't be with you, not anymore."

"Belle-"

"No," she told him. "I can't do this to him. I may have married him for protection, but he's nice to me, he's a better person around me, after my father dies he will be Sheriff, and he will be a better person than my father."

"How do you know that?" Alan asked.

"Because I won't give him a choice to." She told him. "We had our chance, Alan, but it's over now. We're over now. I can't be with you, and I don't plan on telling Guy about any of this. He will stay blissfully unaware, and you will love some other girl, and everything will be fine."

"No, it won't."

"It has to be. This is the fate I have chosen for myself, this is what will happen, I know it, and if you don't see it you are a fool."

"Was I a fool to love you too?"

"Yes," she told him. "I am dangerous person to love." She looked away from him. "Goodnight Alan."

"This isn't over." He told her, following her up the stairs.

"Yes, it is," she told him.

"You keep saying that, but you don't mean it." He replied.

"Yes, I do. I mean it every time I say it, but something gets in my head and changes my mind, before I regain my sanity and I can think again." She said passionately. "I'm not yours, and I never could be. It was a childish dream to have, my fate was already decided."

"You can be," he told her.

"No, I choose him, Alan. I choose him." She whispered, feeling the words sink into her bones as she realized the truth of them. "I do. I choose him. I choose Guy."

Alan looked as if she just stabbed him. "You were mine first."

"I'm not a toy, Alan. I get to choose, and I have chosen. Can't you just forget about me?"

"I'm going to try." He told her, before turning around and going down the stairs, she heard the front door slam shut.

Belle cried herself to sleep that night, though not even she knew the reason why.


	10. Chapter 10

Belle was awoken by yells and screams the next morning, she sat upright in the bed, before realizing what was happening today. Taxes.

Belle got dressed quicker than she ever had before, pulling on her boots as she went down the stairs and putting on her black cloak, as she ran into Locksley, and was sadly not shocked by what she found. Men dressed in black armor were on horses, rampaging through the town looking for money.

For a moment, Belle didn't know what to do, until she saw the children, all younger than ten years of age running, almost getting killed by horses.

Belle moved quickly, calling whatever children she could over to the front of her house, making sure they were safe, they all trusted her, until she saw Timothy, the boy who had run up to her before her wedding, not seeing as he ran in front of a horse.

"No!" Belle screamed, running faster than she ever had, grabbing the child and getting him out of there, but she wasn't fast enough, the horse's hoof caught her calf, hitting it hard enough for the hoof to sink into her skin, and leaving a long gash as she pulled her leg out of harms way. She ignored the warm feeling of blood running down her leg, and looked at the child who was on her stomach and chest, cushioning his fall.

"Are you okay?" Trying not to show pain on her face.

The little boy nodded, hugging her as she hugged him back, kissing his forehead.

"Timothy, you need to go over to where the other children are, all right?" She told him, realizing they weren't safe where they were.

He pulled away and nodded.

"Run," she told him. "And stay there until I come and get all of you."

He nodded again, before taking off in the direction of the other children.

Belle looked around for something to help her get on her feet, but there was nothing, she started to drag herself towards a short stone wall that was behind her.

"Belle!" Guy yelled, coming towards her on his horse, before dismounting and trying to touch her. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right to you?" She asked.

He knelt down to look at her leg, ignoring her temper.

"Don't touch me!" She seethed. "Don't you dare." She pulled her body away from him.

"I'm trying to help you." He hissed.

"I do not care." She told him. "It was your men that did this."

"Belle-"

"Don't bother coming home tonight." She told him. "Just go."

He did just that, looking at her with a mix of anger and remorse, before mounting his horse and having his men follow him out of Locksley.

Kate came towards Belle with bandages, and peeled away the leg of the tight pants she had underneath the skirt of her dress.

"Can you feel it?" She asked.

Belle nodded. "It hurts."

"Can you still say he's a good man?" Kate asked.

"He's not." Belle muttered. "No good man would do that."

"You've never seen him do it before, have you?" Kate said.

Belle shook her head, before hissing as Kate wrapped the cloth around her wound. "I just need it not to get blood on the saddle, then I'll get someone to stitch it up."

"You're losing a lot of blood." Kate said, wearily.

"I'll survive." Belle told her, as Kate finished, and helped Belle to her feet, letting her limp on her until she got to her horse, and helped Belle saddle her horse as Belle called for the children to go to their parents.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked.

"To get help." Belle said, as she used her god leg to get on the horse. "I'll be fine. But if you don't see me by nightfall, please tell Alan to tell Guy it's his fault. Alan won't hurt you, I promise." Belle clicked her tongue and the horse started at a walk, each bump causing her leg to hurt more and more.

She saw people cleaning up their shops or houses, but when she passed by Timothy's mother, she mouthed a thank you, before going back to her work.

Belle decided it was worth it.

Belle found her way through the forest, trying to get through to the outlaws camp.

"Djaq!" She yelled, but her voice was weak, and was just as loud as it was when she talked.

She was slouching on her horse, and she could feel the blood running down her leg, turning as cold as the wind which was biting her exposed skin.

"Robin!" She called again. "Someone!"

"Belle?" Little John came out from behind a tree.

"Help me," she said, as she started loosing consciousness. "Get Djaq." She fell towards him, and blacked out.

When Belle woke up, Marian was looking down at her. "What happened?"

"You need to get food and money to Locksley." Belle whispered. "It was bad, so bad. The guards were beating people who wouldn't pay, and-"

"I know." Marian said. "What happened to you?"

"Water," Belle said, before Much handed her a glass.

"Thank you," she said after drinking some. "Timothy-one of the children was about to get run over by a horse, I got him out of the way, but my leg wasn't fast enough." She tried to sit up but Marian pushed her back down.

"You need to rest. You lost a lot of blood." Marian told her. "Is that all?"

"I've never seen anything like that." She whispered, closing her eyes as it replayed over and over in her head. "There was no need for it. If they pitched in as much as they could and then we pay the rest it would be so much better for everyone...all that money that goes unused..."

"She's in shock." Much groaned.

"Where's Robin?" Belle asked faintly.

"He, Little John, and Will all went to help Locksley clean up." Djaq told her.

"Okay," she sighed. "Okay."

"Belle?"

Everyone's heads shot up to see Alan, Much went for his sword.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed.

"I was sent to make sure Belle didn't die, is she okay?" Alan said, taking a step forward.

Djaq, Much and Marian closed ranks around the weak Belle.

"She'll survive." Djaq said.

"Can I see her?"

"She's weak, we won't be able to move her for a few days." Marian told him. "Go tell your master that she won't be home for a while."

"Can I see her?" He repeated.

"Why do you want to?"

"I need to make sure she's okay." Alan told them. "I won't stay long."

The three of them looked at each other, before letting him see her, a sickly pale with all the blood gone from her cheeks, and no more pink tinge to her skin. Her eyes were dark, but open as she looked at him.

"What happened to her?" Alan asked.

"You don't know?" Djaq asked.

"No."

"She was hurt saving a child from one of the guards." Marian told him. "She came here for help, and lost a lot of blood doing it."

"Is she going to live?" Alan asked.

"Yes," Djaq said. "But tell your master she will be gone for a few days, don't tell him where, don't tell him that you know. Just tell him she will refuse to see him."

"Can I come back?"

"No." Much told him. "Not unless we get you."

"Fine."

Belle couldn't believe how much pain could be directed at one part of her body. Djaq kept giving her wine whenever a moan escaped her lips, sleeping or awake. Marian tried to visit as much as she could, but it wasn't too often, or only after dark. Robin would talk to her often.

"You can't do this any more." He told her. "You're Gisborne's wife, this is more dangerous for you than anyone else. You can't run away if things get too bad. You're bound to him."

"I don't want to be." She whispered.

"There's nothing I can do," he told her. "No matter how much I would like to."

She looked up at him, looking weak and sick as ever. She had taken on a fever that morning. "Kill me."

"No," he told her. "I don't do that."

"I'm dead anyway, Robin." She begged. "Kill me, and let me be free."

"I won't. I will try to help you, but you need to trust me." He told her. "I have a plan."

"What is it?" She asked.

"We let Gisborne know we have you, we say that the doctor wasn't helping you, and that no girl deserves to be married to him." He told her. "When he tries to get you back, you give him an ultimatum, if he cares for you like everyone believes then he should do it. If not, then you can stay here."

Belle nodded. "What if he lies?"

"We'll get you out." He told her. "You have my word."

"Then you have mine. I will do what you ask." She told him.

"As soon as you're stronger we will act on this plan." He told her.

"Where does Guy think I am?"

"He doesn't know." Robin told her. "As far as any of us can tell, he's been at the castle, even Locksley has completely turned him out after they all found out how you got hurt. Some of them know you're with us."

Belle nodded, and looked away.

"What?" Robin asked.

"Is it bad that I still love Guy?" She asked. "Not the one that's cruel and heartless, but the one where he's sweet."

"Well, take no offense at this, but you have bad taste in men." Robin told her with a smile. "First Alan then Gisborne, you just can't pick the good ones, can you?"

She laughed, a weak sort of laugh, but still a laugh. "Maybe because good men don't want me."

"Why wouldn't they?" He asked.

She smiled sadly. "I don't know, perhaps you and Marian are the only ones who can stay together both being good, perhaps there can't be two good people in a relationship."

"You don't believe that." He said.

"Yes, I do. You and Marian are one in a million. So rare that I will never find love. I am doomed to be with a man, who is like my father in evilness, and when I give him no child, or a daughter, he will kill me. Just like my father did my mother."

"Do you know that for certain?" He asked.

"Why else would my mother leave me?" She asked. "Even now I would not leave my child with such a man, I would run with her or him. I would go to some other part of Europe. Perhaps Germany to live with that Count."

"You seem to have it figured out." He told her.

"If Djaq's herbs fail, then I will have to make these choices." She told him.

"You are far too young." He told her. "Not yet seventeen."

"Just because Marian has freedom does not mean I'm blessed with it, nor are many other women." She told him. "Marian's lucky in many ways, with a father who loves her, with you, with her freedom. I would give anything to be her, but I would never ask her to be condemned to my fate."

"She wanted to trade places with you, you know. After she found out about the gash in your leg." Robin told her. "You were still out cold, and she said that you were still just a girl, and you didn't deserve this."

"Nor does she." Belle replied. "Does she know about this plan."

"She doesn't approve of us using you as a pawn."

"I am already one." She told him. "I would rather be used by you than him." She paused. "What of my father? What does he know about this?"

"I know that Gisborne left the castle yesterday with bruises and a cut." He told her.

She sighed. "So my father does still love me after all."

"All father's do. If I had a child I would never let anything hurt them." He told her. "Though I have to say I was surprised to hear that the Sheriff has a heart."

"What do you think he will do if he hears of this plan?" Belle asked.

"You know him better than I." Robin told her. "What do you think?"

"I honestly don't know." She told him. "He could do anything."

"Are you willing to take the chance?" He asked.

"It will more likely hurt you than me." She said. "If he struck Guy, then I don't want to imagine what he would do to get me back."

Robin nodded. "We'll take the chance." He stood up. "You need to rest, I'll tell you if anything happens."

"Are you going to tell them that the plan's on?" Belle asked.

"Yes,"

She nodded. "As soon as I am better."

"As soon as you are better." He promised.

**Please Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Belle was healing, and at such a fast rate that after a few days they decided to move forward with the plan, even if she couldn't walk yet, she could always be in front of someone on a horse, or Little John could carry her.

First thing was first: a letter to her father.

Belle wrote it in her own graceful hand, and if he didn't recognize it, then she pressed her ring into hot wax on the paper. He had to notice it.

"He should recognize the writing. Before we came here, I was ill for a fortnight and couldn't talk, I communicated with people by writing my responses down." Belle had told them. "He was the one I mostly talked to."

They had just nodded at that, none of them knowing what to say, nor did she expect them to. She just wanted to let them know that their plan could work, that he will recognize it as hers, and they won't have to move her so soon.

Robin took it to the castle, and left it on her father's bed, making sure that her elegant script of "Papa" was able to be seen, before slipping back out, unnoticed.

Belle knew the letter had worked when she heart hoofbeats the next day, searching for the Outlaws Camp.

She would write daily, telling her father that she was fine, and that she was healing. She said that she was treated better here than at any doctor. "I won't tell you who because you will hang him." She had written, answering the question that was probably going through his mind when he read it.

She was surprised when Robin showed up with two letters the next day.

"They seem to figure out that the only contact with you will be by letters." He told her, handing her them. "I found them where I usually put your letters."

She opened them hungrily, wanting to know what they were thinking of, how they felt that she was in the Outlaws Camp, and how they felt knowing that she was treated better there than anywhere else.

Her father was mostly worried, and told her that they will use her to get to him. He ordered her to come to the castle, but didn't tell her she had to go to Locksley. He said that if she wanted he would kill Gisborne, did he not get that it was killing and cruelty that got her here in the first place? She was finished with death, and she would not be the cause of more, no matter who the victim was.

Guy's was...interesting to say the least. He didn't say he was sorry, nor did he say anything about how she got hurt. He said he was going to find her and bring her home. He said he loved her, and was going to make things right.

She wrote her reply, for both of them in one letter. She told them no killing to get her back, and if they did neither would ever see her again. She told them that they need to stop pretending, and let their true colors show. She listed the things her father had done that he didn't know she had seen, the same with Guy. She told them that neither of them are good men, and she knew it. She dared them to deny it, and dared them to change. She knew they wouldn't.

A week passed, and they didn't reply, but things were uncomfortable in the castle, Marian told her that. When Robin brought a dark haired girl, who was only a few years older than Belle to the camp, since she was running from her abusive husband, she found someone to talk to, not necessarily about herself, or at least not for the first week.

"He did terrible things." The woman told her. "So what are you doing here? You look like a noblewoman yourself."

"It's a long story." Belle told her.

"How about you tell me how you got injured." She told her, sitting on the side of the bed.

"I saved a child from getting trampled by a horse, but the horse's hoof caught my leg and made a gash in it." Belle told her. "The child is fine."

"Do you have any of your own?" Isabella, the other girl asked.

Belle shook her head. "And don't plan on it either, what about you?"

"I was able to get my nurses to get me herbs to keep me from getting pregnant."

"Same, but Djaq got them for me." She looked up at the girl who was sharpening she sword on the other side of the camp.

"Who are you married to?" Isabella asked.

"Guy of Gisborne." She told her. "He's the Deputy and arms person. With my father being the sheriff, it was pretty much decided."

"Guy of Gisborne?" Isabella let out a breath. "What are you doing here then?"

"I have friends that care for me." Belle told her. "I wouldn't trust anyone else with my life."

"Did your husband cause this?" She asked, gesturing to Belle's leg.

Belle bit her lip. "It was a chain reaction, which I think if you trace it all the way back goes to my father, but he was a part of the chain, not directly."

"Really?"

Belle nodded, looking away from the woman.

The woman's face softened. "You love him still?"

Belle looked at her hands. "You can't choose who you love, but my God, I wish I could."

The other girl frowned. "Love is weakness."

"Yes, but it is also powerful." She told her. "Right now I have two men, one my husband, one my father willing to kill each other if it would bring me home. I have a chance at changing them because they love me, and I love them. I fight for the poor because I hate suffering. There's a thin line between love and hate, and they are both the most powerful emotions."

"You don't sound sixteen." Isabella told her.

"I don't act it either, apparently." Belle said.

"So are you using these men to get what you want? What do you want?"

"Less cruelty," Belle told her. "Less killing. Less...just less everything."

Belle was walking a week later, with the help of Much as they walked around the camp to build back up her muscles.

"We should be able to get you back in shape, soon." He told her.

Belle smiled. "I hope so, I need to be kicking my husband's ass again as the Shadow."

"Do you enjoy showing your dominance?" He replied, as he let her rest on a rock.

"Very much, I have so little of it as a woman, if you take away my beauty I have none." Belle replied. "Same with Marian, we are both victims of our sex."

"Djaq isn't."

"I disagree, you men get upset when she does something physically better, do you not?" Belle asked.

He didn't reply.

"Stop seeing her as a girl, and see her as Djaq and see how she replies." Belle told him. "She will be surprised and happy by it. Tell Will."

He jumped, startled. "What?"

"I see the way he looks at her." Belle told him. "It's not hard to figure out."

"I'll pass it along." He told her, looking her over. "I see that you are getting along well with Isabella."

"She's alright," Belle nodded. "I prefer Marian to be around, but she isn't bad company."

"I don't like her, something's off."

"She's been beaten by her husband for years," Belle defended. "And forced to-to do things, to-to have things done to her." Belle shuddered. "I feel for her, she just wants freedom, and if her husband finds her she will never get it."

"What of Gisborne? What happens when you go back to him?" He asked.

Belle bit her lip. "The first few weeks will be hard, he will be stepping on eggshells so he doesn't upset me, I will be untouchable."

"You don't sound happy about that."

"I don't want to not be hurt just because my father will kill him, I would like to not be hurt because they don't want to hurt me." Belle told him, before laughing sadly. "Is that too much to ask? Am I just being a silly little girl with silly little dreams?"

He shook his head. "No, it's not. You're not."

"Belle!" Djaq cried, running towards them. "Belle, how long have you been with us?"

"A month." She told them.

Djaq whispered something in her ear, and Belle blanched, her mouth opening slightly, as her hand went to her stomach.

"It can't be." Tears filled her eyes. "No."

"Your dresses are getting tighter." Djaq told her. "If you want I can check you, but we need to get back to the camp."

Belle covered her face with her hands, because she knew Djaq was right. She was pregnant.

Belle started pulling at her dress strings, even though it was cold out, she tore at her dress.

"What are you doing?" Much said, turning around, giving her, her modesty.

Belle pulled her dress out of the way, and she looked at her stomach, it was thicker. Her hands touched her stomach, it was like she could feel the child inside her. The herbs didn't work.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." She whispered, trying not to breathe too hard, as her breaths became shorter.

"It's a miracle that you still have it." Djaq told her. "Over this last month, the blood loss, the stress. It's a miracle child."

"It's him." Belle said. "He's inside me." Though her words angry, her fingers were gentle against her stomach. "What do I do?"

"We take you back to camp, and we tell Robin." Djaq told her, lacing back up her dress quickly and putting her arm around her waist so she could walk quicker, Much following them.

But when they got back a child was there, Guy had taken his friends because they saw something they shouldn't have. Belle was furious. Marian had come with them, and when they left to save the child, Belle cut a corset so that it would make her seem like she had more of a bump of a child than she actually had. Marian helped Belle get on her horse behind her, as they slowly rode out towards Locksley, by the time they got there, Guy was threatening a child.

Belle got herself off the horse, landing on her good leg, before walking as normally as she could to the square.

"I hope that's not how you treat our child." Belle punctuated her words with a caress of her abdomen.

Both her husband and her father looked at her as if for the first time in years.

"Children aren't bargaining tools." She scolded them, knowing she was the only one that could, as she walked forward, not showing any emotion on her face, but had her head held high, Robin was shaking his head from behind a crate.

"If you view them as such, than I daresay that I will be taking up my father's offer." She went on, until she reached the child that he had by the hair, and bent before him. "What's your name, love?"

"Daniel." He told her.

She stood up, and faced her husband with a fierce look that the bravest of men would cower to. "Let Daniel go home."

"No, Hood has-"

"I don't care." Belle told him, jutting out her jaw. "I just hope that you do not treat ours this way for your sake." She lowered her voice. "I very much admire knives." She put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Release him to me."

Of all the things she would have thought that would happen, she did not expect what happened next.

Guy raised his other hand, and struck her across the face, it would not have sent her to the ground if her right leg was not still injured, she picked her upper body up with her hands, but kept her face to the ground, her cheek was stinging, and she tasted blood on the inside of it. Her brows were furrowed in pain from her cheek as well as her leg.

"You have until tomorrow, Hood!" Her husband yelled before hands were on her arms, helping her help herself up. Alan.

"Come on," he whispered to her. "Your father wants you back at the castle."

"I should have let myself die when I had the chance." She hissed, as he picked her up.

"No, because your father is having a go at Giz now." He whispered, carrying her towards a carriage. "You will not be returning to Locksley any time soon."

"But-the child-" She stammered.

"Will be fine." He told her. "I'm taking you to the castle, then sending for a doctor."

"I'm pregnant." She told him. "I just hope that he's going to beat me until I lose the child."

"I'm not being funny about this," he told her seriously. "Giz is never going to hit you again."

She looked at him. "Just watch."

He helped her into the carriage, and got in behind her. "I will watch over you."

"Like my guardian angel?" Belle asked. "I have those, and I just walked away from them, to save a child, and now I lost my chance completely. I cannot live in the forest because I am pregnant, my only hope is that my father kills my husband, which we both know Guy is worth more than his daughter. Though since this child may be a son, I might be more valuable than him for the next months." Belle turned her head, and pushed the fabric of the curtain to the side to look out of it, Robin was there, and she shook her head, and mouthed one word, "No."

"Are they out there?" He asked.

She nodded looking at Alan. "They will come to get me, but a baby doesn't belong out there, and I can't give up the child to its father nor mine, so I am stuck." She looked back out the window. "You do not have to reply, I already know what you are going to say anyway, no need to speak."


	12. Chapter 12

**This is a happy Christmas-or whatever holiday you celebrate-update! If you could review it for a Christmas gift for me that would be great :)**

**-Lily6005**

Guy went to see her the next day, though never alone. She was in the company of Alan when he came to her, a black bruise on her left cheekbone. He was sorry.

"Belle."

Her smile went to a frown. "I do not wish to see you."

"Belle-"

"Did you not hear me?" She asked, standing. "I do not wish to be within hitting distance of you. The doctor said it was bad for my health, and the baby's."

"So it's true." He said.

"Did you not believe me?" She asked. "It's not something I would lie about, is it? I'm not happy about it either, to be honest, but you're the one that stuck it to me, so I'm putting it all on you." She knew she didn't mean the words she said about the baby, some of her was happy she could have something that loved her, and would be worthy of her love, the baby was hers, and only hers.

Guy looked over her shoulder to an uncomfortable Alan. "Perhaps we should talk about this alone?"

"No, because even if this child inside me is half yours, he's still mine." She told him. "I'm not putting him in any more danger."

"You think it's a boy?" He had the audacity to look excited.

She let out a breath. "I love him, and my father is allowing me to keep you from him for a reason." She touched her stomach. "He wants the child as much as I do. Different reasons of course, but I see no reason not to use it. You are cruel, and you have lost every ounce of respect that I once had for you, this child is mine, unless you can make me trust you, you will never see this child again."

"You are my wife, you don't have that power."

"Perhaps not, but my father can have you killed, as well as killing you himself, as I said yesterday I do admire knives, there's a certain power you get when it goes flying at someone."

"You want his mother to be a murderer?" He asked, not showing weakness to her threats.

"His father is, as is his grandfather, why not add one more to the extremely long list of murderers he shares blood with?" She asked. "Come on, Guy. Did you really think you could strike me without getting a punishment? I am the Sheriff's daughter, and the only one to give him an heir, tell me why I shouldn't call the order to have you killed. You killed the guard that hit me with his horse with no remorse. He might've had a family or a wife."

"Because you love me." He said, an ounce of venerability in his voice.

"That is not enough anymore." She told him. "I married you, I stood up for you more than you know, but I never lied about you. You're not a good person, you're driven by power, and I do not care for it. When I was with Robin in the woods, he showed me everything I ever wanted, freedom, the power to make choices, and they healed me. They showed me a better way to live, and promised to protect me from you and my father. I will not lie to you and say it was not tempting." She spat the last word at him. "They were kind, and never did ask for anything in return. Nothing like here, where every kind act is to get something in return, and the people who vowed to love and protect you, strike you, and harm you."

"Belle I'm sorry." He told her. "What can I do to make it better?"

"Nothing comes to mind. Perhaps I would like you not to act nice, and good and agreeable around me, but a tyrant to everyone else." She told him. "My child shall not have an evil father if it is the last thing I do. I will die protecting this child, as did my mother towards my father."

"You are my wife, you should obey me."  
"I'm stronger than that." She told him. "You've known me most of my life you should know that. I believe I exercised my power over you quite a bit." She turned away from him. "You may leave, Guy."

He did as she asked, trying to figure out how to get her-and his child-back to him.

As the months passed, she would only give him brief, emotionless conversations, most of which concerning her health, as well as the baby's. She did answer him, knowing that it was incentive to get him to be a better person. She already heard from Marian that Locksley isn't in turmoil anymore, though the townspeople did have a bit of an uproar when she was struck.

Christmas was indeed interesting, she had gotten a little bit rounder so it was obvious of her condition, and her third month. Guy asked her-no begged her to move back in with him. She accepted, under the condition that if he ever struck her under any circumstances that he would be dead. Needless to say, he agreed.

She went home with him that night, she didn't sleep with him, but she did sleep beside him, neither of them touching the other, even though he did want her back in his arms, he knew better than to push it. He was lucky to have her back in his house, let alone his bed.

He looked over to where she was sleeping, her back was to him, curled on her side around her stomach, protecting the child that was growing inside her even in her sleep. She may hate him, but she loved their child, even if at first she didn't from what Alan had told him. He needed to prove himself to her, he needed to do what Robin Hood did for her, plus more. He did try to find out how Robin Hood won her over after stealing from her, all she would tell him was that they helped her where he didn't. They kept her safe from everything, and let her do as she pleased. He didn't know how to do that for her, but he must be doing something right for her to agree to come home with him.

He brushed a bit of hair out of her face, before turning so he was facing her back, just hoping that she would still be there in the morning.

She was.

She woke up the first morning back in their room to an unfamiliar sensation on her stomach. Like butterflies. She touched her stomach, the baby was moving.

She sat straight up as she felt it again, she started giggling, waking up the husband beside her.

"What is it?" He asked groggily.

She just kept her hands on her stomach, and enjoyed the sign of her baby being strong and healthy. "He's kicking."

Guy sat straight up in bed, and reached towards her, before stopping. "Can I...?"

She looked into his eyes for a moment, before taking his hand in hers, and pressing it against her stomach.

Belle did look healthy after the bruises faded and her leg fully healed, her breasts got bigger, and she did look like she was glowing, though she was unhappy. It was amazing how healthy she could look, but how sad it seemed when she would look at some poor couple in her same position, where they had love instead of money. What she would give for it, where the husband was a good man, and was just happy to have a wife with a child on the way.

Even after the baby stopped kicking he didn't take away his hand from her stomach, it was the first time he had touched her like this in months, not this intimately. Belle didn't know how she felt about that, after a moment she moved so his hand slipped off her body.

Guy had a long way to go.

Within the week, though she let him kiss her again.

Her stomach grew, as did the baby, then she started craving something that she did not want to give her husband just yet, but she didn't see any other way.

When he kissed her goodnight one night, she let the kiss go on longer than usual. She was always the first to break away, but now he was the one that did, but her lips didn't leave his skin, going to his neck.

"Belle..."

"Mm?" She whispered against his neck, as she pulled her body closer to his.

"What are you doing?" He asked gently.

She pulled away, her eyes meeting his with the same guarded look as usual. "Is this you rejecting me now?"

"No," he whispered to her. "No." He cradled her face in his large hands, before kissing her again. "But-"

"Don't talk." She told him, a broken note in her voice. "Just don't."

He looked into her eyes, and gave a small nod before kissing her again.

Their marriage got better. She was thankful that if it was her father, or if it was Guy on his own accord that they worked on trusting each other again. Either way, she should be happy enough for that, most women didn't have that luxury.

She went out for a ride daily, unable to see the pitying glances of women and men in a worse situation as her any longer. She found Robin and his gang.

"I'm fine." She told them, as they rushed toward her. "I really am. I can take care of myself, see?" She gave a slight smile.

"So it's true that you're pregnant?" Robin asked.

Belle nodded, putting her hands on her stomach. "I think it's a boy."

"What are you going to name him?" Djaq asked, reaching towards her. "Can I?"

Belle nodded, as Djaq touched her bump. "I was thinking Richard, but I figure after I did that that I would shot with an arrow. Harry maybe, I haven't really talked to anyone about it." She shook her head. "I can't stay long. I have to get back."

"I'll walk with you." Isabella said, taking her horse's reigns.

"Okay," Belle smiled at the girl, as she got on the horse.

When they got just a little outside Locksley, Belle was surprised she walked that far.

"Promise me you'll forgive me." Isabella told her, stopping the horse and turning towards her.

"For what?" Belle asked bewildered.

"For something I must do, to protect you." She told her.

"What is it?" Belle asked.

"Something important."

"If it is important then tell me if my fate is in the balance." Belle told her.

"It has to be on trust, Belle. Forgive me." She begged.

Belle looked at her a moment. "Is it something Robin or one of the boys told you?"

"Sort of." Isabella said.

"All right then, I forgive them."

"What about me?"

"I'll forgive you too." Belle told her.

"Good." Isabella took a small dagger out of her dress and put it behind her back so Belle wouldn't see it. "Because I'm doing this for you, it would be a terrible life tied to him so fully."

A line appeared between Belle's eyes. "What do you-" But her question was cut off by a scream, as the dagger pierced her stomach.


	13. Chapter 13

She lost the child. There was nothing more to say. Isabella murdered her child, and there was no way of telling if she could have another. Belle was ready to kill the woman she thought of as a friend for what she had done. There was no way to make this better for Isabella, no redeeming quality that would make up for all this. Isabella was going to die.

From what Marian had whispered to her the day after Isabella attacked her, Robin told her to leave and never return, for which Belle growled at; now it would be harder to find her and _kill her herself._

Guy knew that someone stabbed her, but Belle wasn't in any state to talk or move much. He wanted to find the person that did this and kill them, but she couldn't come up with enough information to do that. It took her weeks just to show any other emotion but depression.

One night she was curled on her side, the only reminder of her pregnancy was the scar on her stomach where the knife had gone in. It wasn't a fond reminder either, but she kept touching that scar, wherever she went, not that she really went anywhere.

Guy laid behind her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her shoulder.

She hugged his arms as he gave her a slight squeeze.

"Her name was Isabella." Belle whispered. "She was running away from her cruel husband, and she was at Robin Hood's camp with me. We were friends-or I thought we were."

Guy stayed quiet, she never talked about her time there, this couldn't be interrupted.

"She was on the road when I went for a ride, and asked if she could walk with me, I thought she wanted to talk to me, but she asked me to forgive her, she said she wanted to protect me, that I shouldn't be tied to you through a child, then she stabbed me." Her voice was detached as she said this, knowing he needed to know what had happened.

He paused for a moment. "What did she look like?"

"Black hair, light skin, blue eyes, as tall as I am." Belle told him. "Beautiful, too."

"How old was she?"

"Twenty." Belle told him. "Do you know her?"

"I might."

"Who is she?" Belle asked.

He remained quiet.

"I deserve to know." Belle told him, and edge entering her voice, warning him not to lie to her.

"I don't know yet." He told her. "I'm just might be gone for a few days."

"You're leaving me now?" Belle asked incredulously, sitting up and turning towards him. "After what has happened?"

Guy was surprised how much fire came out of his wife after being so meek these last few weeks. He didn't have time to respond before she began speaking again.

"I'm not just some inanimate object, I have feelings, and unlike many women I will voice how I feel, and my opinion." Her voice got to that low dangerous note that most had learned to fear. "If you don't want to be here-"

He cut her off by kissing her. Unlike most men would be, he was happy to have her back, her fire and all. It was a sad thing to see her so empty.

She pulled away from him, a pout still on her face, showing how young she truly was. "That's not going to make this better."

"You're back." He said softly.

"I never left." She replied. "It's you that's been leaving, you that's been working longer than you need to, you that's been leaving me alone. Unlike you I never left. I've been right here."

He paused. "I don't know what to say."

"You should say that you are an ass, and I don't forgive you, for anything you have done to me. You ruined me." She told him, fury raging in her blue eyes. "I should have stayed with the outlaws, at least they cared."

"They didn't care about you." Guy told her. "You were nothing to them but a way to get to me."

"I don't believe that." Belle replied. "I don't care if you do, maybe since I'm not with-child they'll let me go back."

Guy had to remind himself to keep his temper; it would only cause her to go there faster, if not that night. "What do you want me to do?"

That brought her up short, she didn't even know, all she knew was she wished that it would be the same as it was a year ago. Harmless teasing that would hurt no one. Gifts that she easily rejected, saying that it wasn't what she fancied. Now everything was different, she wasn't able to do what she liked. She felt as if her life was over at sixteen, just when it had started.

"I don't know." She told him. "But this," she gestured to herself and him. "Isn't good. I used to be someone to respect, and now I am someone to pity. I am nothing. I used to be someone. People used to say my name in awe not sadness."

"And I am to blame for all of this?" He shot.

"Yes." Her face was hard, her lips drawn in a tight frown. "Yes, I blame you for all of this. Yes, it is when I agreed to marry you that someone looked at me with pity in their eyes. I still don't know why I didn't run away when I you gave me your offer. I may have been poor but at least I wouldn't be in this hell."

"So this is your opinion of me? Praying on women like yourself?" He asked in a condescending tone "What a monster I must seem to you."

"You may have forgotten, but I was a fifteen not a year ago. I was a _girl_." She pronounced the word slowly, emphasizing it. "I was forced to grow up, as I always am. I want to put myself first, is that such a crime? But no, I had to make my father happy, make you happy, now look where I am. Broken and unwanted."

"You are not unwanted." He told you. "I wanted you. I want you."

She shook her head and shrugged. "How do I know you are genuine? For all I know I am just a stepping stone for power, or a trophy. One of the most beautiful women in England, you know. My father rejected quite a few offers from a few men since I was twelve...never had enough money nor power for him to be interested. Maybe if Prince John had met me, I would have married him. What ifs, what ifs." She ran her hands through her hair slowly, grabbing it at its roots. "You're driving me mad. Everything about here is driving me mad."

"Where do you want to go then?" He asked.

She looked out the window, where she could see the forest behind the village. She could swear that she could see smoke in the night.

"I have no where to go." She lied. "You're leaving for a few days, and I am to stay here. Like a good little wife." She laughed without humor. "You can leave now if you like." She laid back down, "Don't touch me," written all over her.

She opened her eyes when she felt Guy get out of bed the next morning, feigning being asleep until she was sure he was out of the house. She got ready, dressing quickly, and stuffing a saddlebag with her black clothes. Finding a note that said he was going to be working late, and leaving one of her own that she was going to Marian's for the night. She needed some time away, and then maybe she could make her mind up if she wanted to leave for good this time. Leave her life of privilege for a hard life, leave her husband, leave her father, leave everything she knew behind. With enough courage she could do it.

She saddled her horse, finding the saddle that was still stained with her blood, and covering it with straw, unable to look at it before finding another.

She rode to Knighton with her hood up, the wind bit at her exposed skin though. When she passed a fake-dead Robin on the rode, he saw her and let her pass, but waved at on of his men to follow her.

It was Djaq.

"How are you doing?" She asked, keeping up with Belle, whose horse had slowed to a walk.

"As well as one can be." Belle replied. "It's hard, and I'm scared. He won't hurt me anymore, since my father is livid about me losing the baby. It was a boy. I might still be able to have children since I lost him from stress, but no one knows. Guy is now leaving for a few days sometime soon, and that would be my best chance at leaving. I just have to choose. I'm on my way to Marian's now. She said I could come over whenever possible and we can go steal from some rich guy and give it to poor people."

"You know you can always come with us, you know the castle better than anyone, we could use your help." Djaq told her.

"I'll think about it." Belle told her. "But everything is so complicated."

"It always is." Djaq agreed. "I'll let you go now. Have fun raiding."

"You too." Belle smiled, squeezing her heels into her horse to push her into a trot, then canter.

"I know who hurt Belle." Guy told the Sheriff.

"Other then you, you mean." Vaisey noted. "Who is it?"

"My sister killed our child." Guy told him, ignoring what he said.

"So hurting my girl runs in the family then." Vaisey watched his face, trying to get a reaction. "I guess it's a good thing you're the only two alive, isn't it? Well, for my daughter at least."

Guy kept his face blank, looking forward, above the sheriff's head.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Vaisey asked. "Kill her? Torture her? I'm always up for a good hanging."

"I'll be back in a week." Belle told Marian as she saddled her horse the next morning. "Can I keep my clothes and mask here?"

Marian nodded. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Did I move any worse then I usually do?" She asked. "I'm fine. I just need to move on."

"Is it bad that I'm a little happy you decided to play the inside with me?" Marian asked, petting the horse Belle was saddling.

Belle shook her head. "At least I can still come here whenever I please."

"Always. Father loves you like a daughter." Marian told her.

Belle got on her horse. "I'm going to try to make peace with Guy."

"That would probably be best." Marian agreed. "It's the only thing you can do besides killing him, and I know you're against death as well."

Belle nodded. "See you."

Marian nodded, stepping back to let Belle's horse pass her.

Belle was behind the house, throwing knives at a tree, making sure she still had as good aim as ever, then she wanted to build up her muscles so they were just as firm as before. She needed to rid herself of all reminders of the last months, and this was the best way to do it.

Guy found her there that night, when she returned to throwing knives in the darkness.

"Are you pretending that tree is me?" He asked, leaning against the wall of the house.

She shook her head, standing up straight before turning to him. "I'm sorry." She told him. "It was unfair what I said."

"I should not have said I was leaving without giving you a reason." Guy replied. "I'm sorry."

"I want to try." She told him. "I want to be who I was a year ago, but I know that is impossible. But I also want to not be married to a cruel man. I've seen you be kind before, Guy. I loved you when you were kind, and not ruthless."

"It's my job." He told her.

She shook her head. "It's not. Marian's father was fair when he was Sheriff. I know I cannot change my father, he never really had a loving side. Not even for me. You do. I've seen it, and I can honestly say you've hurt me worse than anyone else, and you've felt remorse for it. Let me prove to you that you can be loved by the people even after all you have done."

"It won't gain us any power." He told her. "We could be great, but not with letting people walk all over you."

"People do not walk all over me." Belle told him. "I don't let you, why should I let anyone else. I do what I think is right. Guy." She dropped her knives on the grass, and walked towards him, putting her hands on his arms. "I don't want to be known as cruel and powerful. I would rather be kind and with little standing. Can't you see that? Can't you understand it?"

"I understand it perfectly, but I don't see why you cannot have both. Let me be the evil one."

She shook her head. "It's either both of us or neither of us. I do not want to be pitied any longer, and I don't want you seen as someone who tricked me. Prove to me that you actually love me and do this."

"Not with Vaisey where he is. He could kill me off easily and marry you off onto someone that will be his puppet since I didn't fit the criteria."

"Then maybe he shouldn't be where he is."


	14. Chapter 14

Belle and Guy made up, and were on good terms like they were when they first got married. It was good, and he pretended not to notice every day before taxes she would give coins to the poor, letting them not be beaten up nor thrown around. They made a deal that neither were willing to break.

He had to work late, and Belle said she had to go to Marian's to catch up. Just a ruse of course. They all knew the taxes were leaving Nottingham and Belle and Marian had to stop it, with a bit of Robin's help of course.

Belle was in a tree, just above where the carriage would be in a few minutes. She could see it now, coming towards them, and she dropped a few pebbles letting the soft thud warn the others it was getting close.

She was happy that they only had guards on horseback in front of the cart, but sadly, Guy and Allen were leading it. Robin had told her that she didn't have to fight him if she didn't want to. She didn't. Nor Allen. She just wanted to knock out some faceless guards, and get the gold to one of their stores and get back to Marian's before dawn. Sounded simple enough.

When the cart was under her, she jumped on tops of it with a thud, and flattened herself down so when the driver looked back he saw nothing. It wasn't until Robin and his gang stopped them that she knocked off the driver and slipped into the carriage, finding the chests and bags of coins throughout it. Much was next to the door, and she kicked it open, tossing the bags to him.

"Watch out!" Much said, but it was too late. She was grabbed from behind, pulled out of the cart, hitting her head in the process.

She had enough sense to backhand the person that pulled her out, but she fell off the side of the cart onto her back.

"Fucking hell, I thought you quit this." Allen whispered harshly recognizing her garb.

She got on her feet, pretending she didn't feel the pain in her back and shook her head, backing up a step.

"I don't want to hit you." He told her.

"Let me make it look real." She told him quietly so no one else could hear her voice.

He looked annoyed, but nodded anyway. "Fine."

Belle groaned as she slid off her horse.

"What happened? I saw you go down for a second." Marian said, taking off her mask, and pulling the scarf over her face down below her chin.

"Allen hit my head and dropped me." She told her, rubbing the back of her head. "A few bruises, but I look like I fell off my horse right?"

Marian nodded. "He'll believe you."

Belle got to their house right before her husband, and went straight to bed, still tired from her activities the night before.

When Guy got home she looked at him concerned. "What happened?" She asked.

"Why do you think something happened?" He replied.

"It's written on your face." She told him, reaching for him until he sat on the bed beside her. "What happened.

"The taxes were intercepted by Hood." He told her.

"Did he get it all?"

"No, most of it, but Allen thinks he knows where he put it." Guy told her. "Then we're going to move it to here for a few days before moving it to the next county."

"Well you'll get it back then, that's good." She lied, running her fingers through his hair. She made a note remembering to tell Robin when she saw him next.

She wasn't sure if she should feel bad for lying to her husband's face. She had done it for as long as she had known him, of course not many as bad as they have been recently, but the was so used to it, it didn't even bother her anymore, not that it ever did too much. Maybe in some way she was just as damaged as her father, in a very different way. She says she loves him, but lies to his face, never telling him the whole truth, and never feeling bad about it. Yes, she was damaged, just like her father. But having a tyrant like him for a father must give her some sort of leeway for her faults. It was just how she was raised. If you want something get it, no matter the cost.

She just wanted something much different from her father. She wanted to be loved, not hated. She never wanted to be hated. Was that such a bad thing?

She wasn't able to see Robin though. She was summoned by her father the next morning, which she went to.

"Are you planning on having children?" He asked, not looking at her as she entered the room. A long table was in front of him, covered in foods that would be enough to feed the whole of Nottingham Town for the day.

She took a deep breath, walking to the end of the table to be in front of him. "Is that any of your business?"

"I am your father, girl." He told her.

"Then yes, we are going to try again. Obviously." She told him harshly. "Now, why did you ask me to come?"

"You're walking funny, what happened?" He asked, ignoring her question.

"Fell off my horse, yesterday." She told him, keeping her tone light. "My balance has been off a bit."

"That's not good to hear, have you seen a physician?" He asked.

"You want a grandson so badly?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "I am fine. I will be back to normal within the week."

"Of course I want a grandson, I've already had a daughter, it sounds like a nice change." He replied. "Surely you will let me train him."

"I will train him as I please." Belle replied. "Children have no business in fighting or war. I will educate him and when he is old enough he will make the decision. If it is a girl I will offer her the same." She sat in the chair across the long table from him.

"Of course, but surely Gisborne has a say in all this."

"He will let me." Belle told him, a twinkle in her eye. "I have my ways."

"No doubt you have. I taught you well. Manipulation, he is an easy one for you isn't he? Much easier than A'Dale, am I right?"

She didn't let surprise cross her face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Surely not. Nor would I know about your little trysts with Gisborne since before he started courting you. I have eyes everywhere, girl." He smiled at her. "One of the girls that work in your house saw A'Dale kiss you before you got pregnant. Trust me, I wasn't surprised when he became your personal body guard."

"Manipulation runs in the family." She told him. "The only difference is you use fear, and I use sex."

"My daughter is a whore, how glorious."

"And you killed my mother."

"So you've figured that out, have you?" He asked.

"I have known for a while. It would be the only way that she would leave me with you." Belle told him. "I know I would die to keep my child from you. Look at how you have damaged me. Imagine if I was a boy, how worse I would've been off. I am sure I would have looked like you as well. How odious."

"Yes. At first she made me believe you were a boy. You look just like her. A beauty, sadly with no money, but I took pity on her. She could have lived, if she had told me you were a girl, you could be off living poor somewhere. She did not, and when I found out I figured I could at least make it worth my while and train you, one day you could give me a boy that I would take from you. I didn't expect you to be to pretty though. That is a complication."

"What will you do to me if I cannot have children?" She asked.

"I will let your husband deal with you then. No one will love you enough to save you."

"You have little faith in my will to save myself." Belle replied, standing. "Now, I think we have had enough of this heart-to-heart. Don't you agree?"

"Yes. At least now we can stop lying to one another."

"Oh, Father, when have I ever lied to you?"

**A/N**

**Isabella makes another appearance in the next chapter, which I'll put up today or tomorrow. Now, I do have a question for whoever is reading this author's note; do you want it to have a happy ending or a more realistic, bittersweet one? Review your answer!**


	15. Chapter 15

"Belle!" Robin called, as she passed through the Forest on the way to Locksley.

"Robin," she got off her horse and walked to him. "Allen-"

"Gisborne took the money from us." He told her. "Allen must have ratted us out."

"He did. I didn't expect them to work so quick." Belle told him. "I only found out yesterday. I meant to tell you, but I couldn't get away before now-"

"I don't blame you, but I do have a favor to ask." He replied.

"Anything."

"Find out where the money is and tell us."

"They are planning to move it soon. I will try." She promised.

"What were you doing at the castle?" Robin asked.

"My father showed his true colors." She told him simply. "I have no protection."

"You have protection from me." He told her. "Tell me if you need it."

She shook her head. "Not yet. The only protection I have is from my husband. If I get found out I am done. If I cannot get pregnant again, I will be in as much danger as before. I am ruined."

"Maybe you should stop then." He said quietly. "If you are in as much danger as you say-"

"Then I am done for anyway. Do you not think that if I don't give Guy an heir but am a good little wife I will be saved?" She asked, before shaking her head. "The only thing I can do is hope I never get caught, and don't see either my death coming, or I have enough time to kill him instead."

"You are welcome in my camp if you feel the least bit safe." Robin promised her.

"Thank you." She told him. "Tell me if Guy and Allen find the money."

"I will." He told her.

She turned and walked to her horse. "I'll find out where they've hidden it if they get passed you."

He nodded. "Agreed."

Before She had warned Robin, Guy and his men had already gotten to it. She sent word to Marian through a letter to Kate that Guy had put it along with his money, and if they had any chance to get it, it would be tonight while he is at the castle, waiting for Robin to attack.

She told Guy that Marian was ill and she needed some company to keep from going mad. She kissed him, and took her horse to the end of Locksley, before changing into her Shadow disguise.

There was no time to get word to anyone else, it was to be moved in the early morning before dawn, and she only had a few hours left to do it.

She put the mask over her face, before sneaking back toward her house. She got in easily, unseen, and got to the room that was filled with gold and silver coins. She knew which was theirs and which was the taxes. She didn't mind adding some of hers as well.

She paused when she heard voices and footsteps. Guy was home early.

She put the board down that locked the door, and listened.

Guy came to the door, and tried to open it, though the lock was down. She could see one of his blue eyes find her behind the door.

"Shadow." He hissed before yelling at his guards to watch the window and get him an axe. She was going to be killed by her husband.

She went to the window, hoping that the guards were slow, but they weren't. There they stood with torches, staring up at her at the window.

She didn't have her sword. She did have a knife, but it wasn't one of her throwing knives, it was more of a dagger at her boot. The only weapon she had to keep herself alive, and she knew it was not going to be enough.

When she heard the axe hit the door, her breaths became shallow as she turned to look at it move with every hit. The large sack of money she had been filling to her right side.

She felt like she couldn't move, she just stared at the door until he knocked down half of one of the boards and half of Guy's face appeared.

"It's time to play." He taunted.

There was another thud against the door.

"Mind if I join?"

Robin. Robin Hood was there to help her.

"Now drop the axe and back away from the door, and I won't have to kill you." Robin said calmly.

She heard the thud.

"Shadow, you can come out now." Robin told her.

She did as he told her, grabbing the sack of money that she had collected and walking out.

At first she thought Guy was going to let her pass without a fight, but she was wrong. He grabbed the sack of money and tried to push her down the stairs with it, but in self defense, she kicked him and sent him down it instead. She nearly ran down the stairs, needing to get away.

Guy lifted himself off the floor just to punch her, but she was sure that he had a small dagger or something in his hand. She dropped the sack, but contained her yelp.

"Will get the money." He said, grabbing Belle around the waist and pulling her with him out of the house

"My horse is at the edge of town." She told him in a low whisper.

He nodded. "I'll get you out of here."

"I need to get to Marian's." She whispered to him. "He stabbed me."

"We have a cave near here. It'll be closer and Djaq can look at it."

Belle nodded, and she pressed her hand to the cut in her side, she thought it was shallow, but she knew to put pressure on the wound.

An hour later she was lain on a rock as they worked over her. It was like fire inside her where Djaq was stopping the bleeding, and sewing her up.

"I need to get to Marian's." She whispered, when they cut the string. She felt weak, but she should be strong enough to be on a horse.

"You can't leave just yet, you need to rest." Djaq told her.

Belle nodded, feeling a bit cloudy as sleep tried to overcome her.

"That was stupid what you did, without back up." Robin told her. "Marian would have never forgiven me if you died."

"I'm sorry, but there was no time." She told him, her voice soft.

"You need to quit this." He told her. "You're sixteen years old."

"And might be my last to be honest." Her voice getting stronger. "I need to make a difference. In some way."

"You have. You've taken care of my village when I can't. Can't that be enough for you?"

"Perhaps we have the same problem, Robin of Locksley. We both want glory."

They moved Belle to Marian's the next morning, and took her straight to one of the beds in the house.

"You got ill from me." Marian told her, giving her a story to tell. "And you must stay here for a few more days. You aren't well enough to travel even short distances."

Belle nodded. "Thank you."

"Sleep." Marian told her. "I'll watch over you."

Hours later she was roused by voices down the stairs. "Where is she?" It was her husband.

"She's sleeping." Marian told him, Belle could tell he was trying to stop her from going up. "She shouldn't be disturbed."

"She's my wife." Guy did sound concerned, and not even spirited Marian could stop him from going to her.

She closed her eyes once again to feign sleeping.

"How long has she been asleep?" He whispered, afraid to wake her up.

"About four hours since she woke up this morning." Marian told him.

She felt her hand being picked up off the bed and pressed against his lips. "Send word when she wakes up, please." That is the first time Belle had ever heard him use the word, "please" to anyone but herself. Maybe she was changing him bit by bit.

After he left, and Marian went to lay next to Belle.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Like death." Belle whispered back, opening her eyes. "He's going to know. It's going to scar."

"Just be sure he never sees you in direct light. It should be healed by the time you leave here though. You are ill remember?" Marian told her. "You will be fine. The first day in the worst on stab wounds. You know that though, don't you." Marian grimaced. "Twice within a year you have been very unlucky."

Belle sighed. "Well I have a very unlucky life."

"Maybe it will get better." Marian told her. "Just remember that Gisborne doesn't know that it was you in that mask."

"True, that's always good too...your husband not stabbing you, or well not knowing it was you." Belle laughed without humor, before hissing at the pain it caused in her wound. "I hate this."

Marian got up to get her some wine, and handed her the goblet, helping her sit up slowly to sip it. "It'll help with the pain."

"This isn't the worst I've felt." Belle said after taking a long drink. "I have to say Isabella used a thicker knife, even if his tore a bit more skin. I shall have a scared body."

"Scars aren't always bad things." Marian told her, pushing Belle's hair back gently. "They show us where we have been."

"And get us killed." Belle said darkly. "Well only me."

"He's not going to know. I really doubt he will be looking at your stomach." Marian noted.

Suddenly another idea flashed into her mind. "I find it odd that I probably aren't able to have children and its because of my husband. That is why Isabella stabbed me, you know. I'm married to Guy."

"I know." Marian nodded. "I know Robin brought up that you should stop, and you said you wouldn't, but maybe you should think about it."

"If I was smarter I would. But I am stubborn and young and would rather die with a cause than from not giving birth to a son."

"Do you really think Gisborne would kill you?" Marian asked.

"No, but my father might." Belle told her, before seeing the look on her face. "I haven't told you have I?"

"No, you have not."

"My father won't protect me anymore. If I cannot have children I am at the mercy of my husband."

"For what it is worth, I doubt he would do anything." Marian told her.

"That is my hope."

Guy found this the perfect opportunity to find his sister. He wanted to kill her, but he was going to bring her back for Belle to decide her fate. Though it was likely that her mind was in the same place as his.

He looked through the inns, knowing from what Belle had told him that she would not go back to her husband. In Nottingham Town he found her, her dress dirty and her hair in disarray, with an insane look in her eye.

"Hello Brother."

**A/N Sorry it took so long! I meant to put this up earlier but I never seemed to have the time.**

**Please Review!**


	16. Chapter 16

"You killed my child and nearly killed my wife." He growled quietly, grabbing her hair, and pulling it back to make her look up at him.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" Isabella asked, smiling wickedly. "I saved her from you."

"You don't save people, Isabella, you hurt them." He sneered at her. "And the one you hurt the most will decide your fate. Guards!" He called as three men in armor came into the room. "Take her to the dungeon, and don't take your eyes off her. If she disappears again its on your head." he warned the guards as he released her to them.

"Belle won't kill me. She'll thank me." Isabella told him proudly as the guards pulled her away. "You'll see!"

A week later, Belle walked down the stairs of Knighton Hall slowly, making Marian rush to her side in concern.

"Are you all right?" She asked, taking her arm, and guiding her towards the chair.

Belle nodded. "I'm fine, I actually think its time for me to go home."

"Are you sure?"

"It's been a few days, it's healed enough." Belle stated with a small shrug. "I think I shall be fine, but can you send someone to get my carriage?"

Marian nodded. "Whatever you want."

"Thanks." Belle said.

An hour later, she arrived home, bandages wrapped around her stab wound under the dress she had borrowed from Marian. There were a few guards around the house, but they just nodded to her as she passed.

She fell asleep the moment she laid on her bed. She had been sleeping a lot since she got stabbed, and she hoped it was helping her heal quicker than if she wasn't. The faster she could heal, the faster the scar would fade, and that's what she needed the most. For it to fade.

Guy got home early, and found her asleep. He gently shook her awake.

She opened her eyes, and sighed, still half asleep. "What time is it?"

"It doesn't matter," he told her. "I found Isabella."

Suddenly she was wide awake. "How?" She pulled herself into a sitting position, there was still dull pain where she had been stabbed, but she ignored it, it had gotten a lot better over the last few days. "Where is she?"

"In the dungeon." Guy stated. "I don't think

She wanted to go now, but she still needed to rest, avenge the murder of her child or sleep? There was no question what she would choose.

"Can we go now?"

"We'll go tomorrow," he told her. "Your father wants to be there."

"He can't be there." Belle shook her head. "I won't let him. It's none of his business to be there. I'll handle him." She hissed. "No one will stop me from killing that woman."

"You can do with her what you want." Guy told her. "I'm not going to stop you."

She looked up at him, surprised that he would let it be her decision. "Thank you." She kissed him, her hand on his neck.

He put his arms around her back, pulling her tightly to him. She gasped, at the tenderness in her abdomen, but Guy took it another way. He unlaced the back of her dress, and she didn't resist, if she could keep her shift on, he would never know. That and the low light of four candles in the room would be all in her favor.

She went to work with the buckles of his leather jacket. It had been months since they had lain together, and she wanted it too. She did love her husband, she just didn't like who he was when he wasn't with her. She would change that.

He got her out of her dress around the same time that his jacket hit the floor. After he pulled the dress off her, he laid her down carefully, as if knowing she needed gentleness tonight.

He kissed down her neck, and sucked on her collarbone, working on the fastenings of his pants and got out of them. Belle pulled his face back to hers to kiss him passionately, as she pulled his undershirt off him, tossing it to join their other clothes.

They kissed and touched, finding comfort in each other, their touches and kisses. They would have to face enough in the morning without feeling safe and warm for one night. Ignoring what would happen the next day. Even if the punishment would be carried out, vengeance always came with a price. Always.

The dark passage to the dungeons was something Belle always hated. Rats scurrying around at the sound of footsteps first thing in the morning, along with the rattle of chains of the prisoners that wanted to see who the visitor was, and sneers when they saw their face. Of all the wrongly accused men in the cells, there was one woman that deserved to be there; Isabella.

Belle looked very stoic as she stood in front of the cell, before Isabella's face appeared through the bars.

"Come to thank me, dear friend?"

"You are no friend of mine." Belle replied coldly.

"Remember, whatever you do to me, you know what my life has been like." Isabella told her. "You know what your dear husband did to me."

"Be quiet, Isabella!"

Belle's face went blank as she turned to Guy. "You're her brother." Somehow she felt herself begin to laugh. "Siblings! I cannot believe this. You didn't tell me!"

"Did it need to be said?" Guy replied.

Belle looked over their faces. "I should have known. The same eyes, and good looks. Had to run in the family." Belle's control went away, and she went towards the bars, grabbing the girl by the neck. "Now tell me, where did you get this wonderful idea that killing my child would be what was best for me?" She hissed, the full brunt of her fury showing.

"I couldn't have you be tied to him. You know how it was. He hit you."

"You took my choice away from me." Belle screeched. "It's my life, I choose what I want to be done with it. That child was one of the things I wanted!"

"Sorry for the disappointment." Isabella said. "If it was anyone else's child I would've let you have it."

"Is this revenge over me, then?" Guy replied, keeping himself a few feet from the bars, if she was within arm's reach, he would surely kill her.

"You're the one that sold me into marriage." Isabella looked back at Belle. "Everything I told you that my brother did it. Sold me into a cruel marriage, abandoned me. I told you what he did to me."

"Yes, but you are the one that killed my child." Belle sneered. "You are the one that hurt me worse than he ever has."

"Are you going to kill me?" Isabella asked.

"That's a very agreeable idea, I think it would be rather easy to get a sword here." Belle hissed.

Guy now was a bit concerned, she had never killed. He put his hand on Belle's shoulder. "Belle, come here."

"Look at him, trying to order you around. Are you sure it's not him you want to kill?"

Belle released Isabella's neck, and took a step back from the bars, and took her husband's hand, as he led her out of the room.

"I don't want you to kill her." He told her when he closed the door behind them so Isabella couldn't hear.

"Why not?" Belle asked, fire still behind her eyes.

"Because-" he quieted as guards passed. "Come on." He found an empty room for them to talk in.

"So why is it you don't want me to kill her?"

"Because when you kill someone it doesn't go away." He finished. "It's never going to leave you if you do. Trust me."

"You've killed before." Belle replied, her mouth set in a stubborn line. "And you haven't stopped."

"It's different."

"Because you are a man?"

"Because you have a choice, Belle!" Guy told her, grabbing the tops of her arms. "Don't make the wrong one, I don't want you to be a murderer as well."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N I know this is really short, but I'm have a bad case of writer's block right now. I know what I want to happen, but it's taking me a while to get how things happen. Sorry it took so long, I'm hoping the next chapter will be up sooner.**

**Please Review!**

**Lily**

"You want to kill her? You want her to die." Marian groaned. "You are against death as a punishment."

"She killed my child." Belle told her darkly. "You don't know what that's like, what I had to deal with, or the recovery it took. She deserves to die."

"I'm not saying she doesn't, I'm saying that you need to think about what you believe is right." Marian told her.

Belle nodded. "I should have the intelligence to come up with something creative."

Marian nodded. "Death isn't always the best punishment, Belle. You have a husband willing to do anything for you, use that."

Belle nodded again, getting lost in her thoughts, but revenge was the first thing on her mind still.

"If you kill her, you won't feel any better, you'll only be a killer." Marian told her softly. "I will remain your friend no matter your choice, but please think about it a little more."

"I will." Belle replied. "It's not as if Isabella is going anywhere. But she is my sister-in-law."

Shock crossed Marian's face. "What?"

"She is Guy's sister." Belle answered. "He's the one that sold her into the marriage when she was thirteen and he was seventeen. He did not know of his cruelty, though."

"I think you just thought of your revenge." Marian stated

Belle looked at her friend, confused. "Excuse me?"

"She hates her husband, and she escaped from him. Do what you will with that." Marian explained.

Belle smiled. "Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for." Marian told her. "See? Death isn't always what's best."

Belle nodded.

"How is your wound doing?" Marian asked her.

"All right." Belle told her. "It's pretty healed, doesn't bleed much anymore. I heal quickly."

"I know." Marian nodded. "Has Gisborne seen it?"

Belle shook her head. "No, and I don't plan on him seeing it either, nor the scar."

"Keep in low lighting." Marian advised.

"The best kind." Belle agreed.

"We return her to her husband?" Guy repeated, after Belle told him her idea.

"Yes."

"Is that really such a good revenge?" Guy asked.

Belle nodded. "I cannot think of a better one, Guy. She hates him, condemning her to a life of him is a good one. She is too scared of death to kill herself, and we tell him of her doings and he keeps her for the rest of her miserable life."

Guy thought for a second, looking away from his wife to the candle on the table. His wife was cunning, she knew right where to hit to hurt but not kill. To make them live in a life of misery and disappointment, because they couldn't stand to end their lives themselves. She was brilliant and scary. He reminded himself to never underestimate her.

He looked up at his wife. "It's perfect."

"So shall we send word to him? Or just deliver her onto his doorstep?" Belle asked.

"I will be gone for a few days if I deliver her." Guy told her. "Are you all right with that?"

Belle nodded. "When will you leave?"

"Soon," he told her. "I need to get rid of her soon as possible."

"Then you and I agree." Belle stood from her chair and went to her husband, she sat on his lap, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him, before snuggling into his chest. "I love you."

He put his arms around her. "And I love you."

They sat in silence for a moment, before Belle asked. "Why are you letting me choose what happens to her? To Isabella?"

"Because you're the one that had to recover." He told her. "You have to carry the scars."

"But she killed your heir, and it's because of her that I don't know if I can have another child. You might not be able to have an heir."

"I can deal with that." He told her. "You can't."

"Why do you say that?" She asked, quietly.

"You want children. You've wanted children ever since you held a child in your arms, I know that." Guy told her. "Don't act like you didn't. She took that away from you more than from me."

"So you don't want children?" Belle asked, a bit confused.

"I'm fine, as long as I have you." He told her quietly.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She kissed him.


	18. Chapter 18

Belle watched as Isabella, in handcuffs was forced into the carriage. This was one form of revenge she could cherish. That woman deserved whatever happened to her.

Isabella looked straight at her, from her spot at the window as the coach started to move. Betrayal in her eyes. Even though she didn't feel bad for what she did, she felt sorry for the woman, and had to look away, to her husband in the courtyard.

He looked up to her when the carriage was gone, and Belle nodded to him, which he returned, before walking back inside the castle.

It was done.

"I did it." Belle told Marian as the rode their horses on the North Road.

"Oh? And how do you feel now?" Marian asked.

"No different. Shouldn't I feel different?" Belle asked.

Marian shook her head. "Nothing's going to be the same, Belle. You know that."

"Guy told me he didn't care if we didn't have children." Belle told her.

Marian stopped her horse. "Pardon?"

Belle had to turn around and walk back to Marian so they could continue speaking. "He told me he didn't care if he had an heir."

"Is that possible?" Marian asked.

"Ask me two weeks ago, I wouldn't believe it." Belle told her. "I didn't know that he felt for me this much."

"Do you love him?" Marian asked. "After he stabbed you?"

"He didn't know he was stabbing me." Belle told her. "He stabbed The Shadow, not me."

"But The Shadow is you." Marian replied. "What happens if he finds out about it? Would he try to kill you?"

Belle shrugged. "I don't think so, not when everything he has shown me is so out of character. I don't know how he could feel for anything as much as this."

"Oh the power of you." Marian teased. "How can anyone hate your yellow hair and blue eyes?"

"How about when I open my mouth?" Belle replied. "I am very outspoken, and that is not very attractive in a woman."

"Gisborne loves you because you dominate him." Marian told her. "He likes to be told what to do from what I have heard and seen."

"I'll test that then, won't I?" Belle replied.

"How will you do that?" Marian asked.

"Ask for things, do things without asking what he thinks. Taking the reigns as it were." Belle smiled. "It shall be interesting to say the least."

"We both know how you like interesting things, don't we, Belle?" Marian replied.

Belle winked at her friend before laughing. "You know me so well."

"As I should. You are seventeen within a fortnight, do you have any festivities?" Marian asked.

Belle shook her head. "Maybe steal from the rich while my husband and every other person is passed out drunk."

"And you are so good at getting men drunk." Marian teased.

Belle laughed. "Exactly." She turned her horse around, and they continued their ride through the forest. "Shall I invite Robin?"

"Is it already planned?"

"You know my father adores parties, the invitations are being sent out today." Belle told her. "Why else would I ask for you to join me for a walk in the forest?"

"I thought you just enjoyed my company." Marian tried not to smile.

"Besides that." Belle brushed off. "When You're around he's always going to be quicker to be found. I think it's because he can't wait to see your pretty, pretty face."

Marian rolled her eyes. "Yes, that is the only reason there is an us. Because of my face."

"What? Guy only liked me for a bit because of my body." Belle said indifferently. "It all starts out physical."

"You seem to think you know how everything works." Marian noticed. "You used to just think no one could say no to you."

"I just figured out the thought behind it." Belle told her. "If you're pretty you get more."

"Is that why you give many of your coins to me?" Robin asked from the side of the road. "Am I pretty?"

Marian laughed as Belle rolled her eyes as they stopped their horses.

"Yes, Robin, I fancy you, and that's why I give you money." She said sarcastically.

"You hurt me, Belle." Robin put his hand to his chest as if his heart was breaking.

"Sorry, Robin. But even you can not say that my husband is a gorgeous specimen of a man." Belle laughed. "With and without the leather." Belle moaned, throwing her head back.

"Enough, Belle." Robin holds his hands over his ears to block out what she was saying. "Now why do you need me?"

Belle laughed. "There's a party in my honor for royals or the high class. If you happen to show up when we're all drunk I don't see how you won't make a bit of money."

"Thank you for the invitation Milady." Robin bowed, grinning.

Belle turned to Marian. "So wear the jewelry you hate."

Marian smiled. "So I shouldn't wear this then." She pulled out a gold ring on a chain from under her dress, and Robin grinned.

Belle looked between them, her head whipping back and forth a few times before reaching over and hitting her friend's arm.

"You didn't tell me? Finally!" Belle cried. "I'm so happy for you two! When are you two going to get married?"

"When the king comes home." Marian told her.

"Well, I must be invited." Belle informed them. "After all, you are both going to my birthday party."

"Never would miss it." He told her.

Belle grinned. "Great."

**A/N: I know it's short but here's the latest chapter! I'm still struggling with getting everything to happen that I want to happen, but I hope I'm going to be able to get the next chapter out quicker. I'm going to force myself to at least write some of it tonight.**

**Please review! They really help me think of something to write! **

**Lily**


	19. Chapter 19

Belle looked at her new bright red dress that she bought for her party. It was beautiful, and she didn't even feel bad for buying such an expensive dress. The scarlet cloth was soft against her skin, and looked beautiful with her golden hair.

She had it lain on the chair in her bedroom. The party was the next night, and she was actually excited, even though she knew it would be ended with both her husband and father furious. She was going to have some fun while she could. Maybe everything could be all right now. She could move on now. She knew she could.

Guy was coming home late, which seemed usual now. She was just getting ready to go to sleep, brushing her hair and braiding it, before blowing out all but one candle, and keeping it away from anything it could set aflame so Guy could see when he got in.

He'd be there when she wakes up. She had to beg her father for her husband to be home on her birthday, but in the end he said she could have him.

She crawled into the bed, and turned so she was facing the window. She couldn't see the moon, but she could see stars. She wasn't going to sleep well tonight. She had gotten used to Guy sleeping beside her, and now it was hard to sleep without him.

After a while, when she was just in between being asleep and being awake, Guy came in.

She heard him drop his sword against the wall, and take off his clothes before getting into bed beside his wife. She could tell by how he moved he had a bad day. Jerky, impatient movements.

Would this be the best time to test her theory? When he's at his most annoyed?

She smiled, and turned to face him. "Bad day?" She rested her head on her hand, putting her elbow on the pillow.

"You always know." He muttered.

"I can read you easily, love." She told him. "Want to share with your lovely young wife?"

"I'd rather be sleeping." He told her. "It's nothing important."

"As you wish." She kissed him softly, before rolling back over, and laying her head down. His are snaked around her waist, and he pulled her against him.

"I love you." He whispered into her hair.

"Love you too." She replied softly, her hand covering his.

When Guy woke up in the morning, he wasn't in the position he thought. He was on his back, all his clothes off, and his wrists were tied to the bed posts with rope.

"Wake up," Belle said in a singsong voice. "Come on, love, you don't want to miss this."

He opened his eyes, the sun wasn't even completely risen. His wife was straddling his hips, her shift bunched up, showing most of her thighs. Any man would kill to be in his position.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Well, it is my birthday, so I thought I could do what I liked." She told him, grinning.

Guy pulled on the ropes, they were strong enough knots to keep him where he was for now.

Belle watched as the muscles in her husband's arms flexed as he tried to pull his wrists away. She was the dominate one right now, and he would just have to deal with it. She was having too much fun to stop anyway.

"Oh, really?"

"Well, let's see if I can." Belle put her hands on either side of his chest and leaned down to kiss him, keeping in control. She wasn't going to do anything that made him the dominant one. She needed to test her theory.

She moved one of her hands off the mattress, and ran it through his hair, down his neck and chest, letting her nails scratch him lightly.

She felt him harden against her, and she pulled away smiling. He tried to get up with her, but his bindings stopped him.

"So what is your plan, Belle?" He asked.

"What makes you think I have one?" She asked innocently, just keeping out of his reach.

"Well, you did tie me up before I woke up." He mentioned.

"Don't say it like you don't like it." She teased. "You like it when I'm like this." She kissed him again, rubbing his shoulders and neck, feeling him pulling against the ropes again.

"Uh-uh." Belle giggled as she pulled away, putting her hands on either side of his head. "My rules, setting you free isn't one of them."

"What do I have to do to be set free?" Guy asked.

"That's still undecided." She told him. "How about you give me a reason?"

"I want to get on top of my gorgeous wife?" He replied.

"Hmm...I was actually thinking I would be on top." She told him. "After all, you are rather, _tied up_ at the moment." She smirked, as he tried to pull his wrists free again. "I found strong rope, Guy. You're not getting out until I let you out." She laughed quietly.

"Where did you learn such strong knots?" He asked.

"I'm a trained assassin, my love." She whispered, leaning down to kiss his chest. "I would be a disappointing one if I didn't at least know how to tie someone up."

"Or at least less interesting." He murmured, giving her the most sensual look that she had ever seen. "Take it off."

"Take what off, my dear husband?" Belle asked, smirking as she raised her eyebrows.

"Your shift, take it off." He told her.

"Oh, I come up with the rules, Guy." Belle replied, teasing. "Play by them." She knew she couldn't take off her shift just yet, the scar was still too new, and too easily seen.

He stayed quiet, watching his wife.

"Good boy." Her hand went to his member, he somehow got even harder just from her touch. "_Very _good boy." She positioned herself over him, and slowly let him inside her, she let out a small moan as he was completely inside her.

She stayed still for a moment, just feeling him inside her. She started moving up and down on top of him, leaning back a bit. He wanted to touch her; she knew he wanted to touch her. She could feel his muscles tensing as he pulled on the ropes again, still not understanding that it was hopeless. She made sure he couldn't pull them loose.

"That's not going to work." She whispered as she kept moving up and down on him.

"You're cruel." He accused, thrusting his hips up.

"You love it." She whispered back, breathless.

He didn't contradict her as they moved together, and Guy kept trying to pull his wrists out of the rope's hold. Trying and failing.

After they finished, she laid on his chest, ready to go back to sleep.

"Can you let me out now?" He asked.

"Hmm...that would be nice wouldn't it?" She whispered, sitting up, and beginning to work on the knots. "You pulled on them too much, they're really tight now." She started struggling with them. "Well done."

"You're the one that tied me up, my darling." He told her, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Belle shook her head and smiled. "Well I guess I'm going to have to get my knives. She reached under the bed, always keeping a few knives there for safe keeping, and coming out with a nice small one.

"Don't cut me, now." He told her.

"No, I think the rope burns will be enough damage to you today." She teased, cutting his wrists free, before setting the knife down, and laying back beside him.

"I hope so." He replied. "Maybe one say you'll see if you like being tied up."

"Oh, I think I'd be a bit disappointed if I didn't." She teased, kissing him lightly.

**A/N: I'm not going to say the writer's block is over, but I'm planning on updating a bit more frequently than once every two months. I've already been working on the next chapter and I want it up by sometime this weekend so watch out for that! Thank you for sticking with this story! Please review!**

**Lily**


	20. Chapter 20

Her birthday party was great. Marian stayed close to her when she could, but they both needed to make small talk. Belle hadn't talked to her father all day, nor did she care to do so. She wanted him to go down. Guy would be a better Sheriff. He had to be, no one could be worse than her father, and even if he was just as bad, Belle had ways of controlling him. She always had ways of controlling people.

When Marian and her were talking, even though no one could hear them, they were still careful.

"How's our little forest friend?" Belle asked.

**Sorry! I meant to put this up earlier! But in better news, I have the next chapter already written, and it should be put up soon!**

**Please Review!**

**Lily**

"The bird? Oh, he's doing well. He should be here soon actually. I can see a few of the people here getting drunk." Marian replied, watching the room.

"I know that me, myself am." Belle whispered.

"Well it is your birthday, you should be having fun." Marian told her. "Happy birthday, miss seventeen."

"Thank you," Belle smiled. "I can't believe that within a year so much as changed."

"Yes, a year ago, you were an unmarried little rebel, now look at you, playing along with all the other children."

Belle raised her glass to Marian. "I learned from the best."

Marian clinked her glass against Belle's. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm the best, but I'm happy you think so."

Belle grinned, taking a sip from her glass. "Well, you're the one that gave me the idea for the little dark friend I have because of your nightly one."

"Yes, I'm a bit happy to have a partner in crime." Marian smirked.

"Besides the one whose ring you have?"

"Yes, besides him." Marian rolled her eyes. "Either way, I was wondering the next time you are free."

"Depends on when your father must leave again."

"Two days." Marian told her.

"I'll tell Guy I must keep you company." Belle told her. "I can't leave you on your own for-how many days?"

"Four."

"I'll tell guy that I can't leave you alone for four days." Belle told her. "What kind of best friend would I be?"

"A terrible one, I must not be alone." Marian teased.

"It is done then. Do you still have some of my dresses or do I need to bring some?"

"I still have some."

Belle smiled. "Good, I will be at your house before sunset in two days."

"I'll hold you to that." Marian whispered back.

"You better."

Guy came up to them. "What are you two talking about." He put his hand on the small of Belle's back.

"Oh, just the fact that Marian's all alone for a few days and she hates being alone that long. I was offering to stay over." Belle told him, taking Marian's hand as Marian looked up at Guy sadly.

"I told her she shouldn't, I can't take her away from her husband for four days." Marian replied.

"We both know what happens when you don't feel safe, Marian, you can't sleep and you're delirious." Belle said, looking sincerely worried for her friend. "I can't leave you alone for that."

"I shall leave it up to your husband." Marian told her, as they both looked to Guy.

"Belle shall do whatever she wishes. She always does anyway." He kissed his wife's cheek before slipping away.

"That was easy." Marian whispered.

"I know, maybe we should have asked for a week." Belle whispered back to her friend before they both laughed quietly.

"I'm terrible."

"You're a manipulator, it's in your nature." Marian smiled. "Trust me, I've always been impressed with your skill on this matter."

"As you should be. Always use what you have; that's one thing I've learned." Belle replied.

"I know, you have told me often."

"Because I'm scared you will forget." Belle elbowed her friend lightly.

"EVERYONE STAY CALM WE HAVE COME TO FEED THE POOR!" Robin cried from the balcony.

"Not try not to look like you're having so much fun." Marian whispered to Belle.

"Same to you."

Robin and his gang had already stealthily taken out the guards, but she knew that if her father didn't try to fight back, Guy definitely would.

As if on cue, Guy's arm appeared around her abdomen, pushing her behind him.

"Do you have your knives?"

"No, it's my birthday party, didn't think I'd need them." Belle whispered.

He cursed. "Too bad. I want you protected."

"They won't hurt me, they would've when they had me months ago." Belle told him. _I'm the one that invited them._ She didn't add.

Marian was looking from Belle to Robin, her eyes guarded, just like Belle'e were. The two women looked at each other, both looking a bit worried.

"Slip out the back." Guy told her. "You know the passages."

"I'm not leaving-"

"Take Lady Marian with you." Guy told her.

"I'm not leaving you." _I have to make sure you don't murder any of them._

"We don't have time to argue."

"Well then stop arguing with me." Belle told him. "I can hold my own."

"I know that, but I'd prefer if you weren't here." Guy told her.

"And I'd prefer if I stayed." Belle replied.

"I'm not talking you out of this."

"I'm stubborn." Belle replied, as they watched the outlaws go around the room, all but Much holding arrows pointed at the crowd, while Much had a bag to put jewelry and money in. "Where's my father?"

"He passed out drunk not long ago."

"Oh, right on time then."

If he wasn't in a stressful situation, Guy would have smiled.

Much made his way around the room, and slowly towards the back, where Marian, Belle and Guy were standing.

"Are they still going to take from you?" Guy asked.

"Well, I am still rich." Belle told him.

Guy let out a frustrated sigh as Much came over to them.

"Please?" He said, even though he knew they didn't have a choice.

Belle started to take off her jewelry, but Guy stopped her. "No, we don't give to outlaws."

"Guy, I don't want a fight tonight." Belle hissed to him. "Everyone here's drunk except them. Do you really think they won't fight back?" She handed her necklace over to Much. "I'm keeping my wedding ring." She directed her statement to Robin.

"I believe that will be my present to you." Robin told her. "You may keep your ring."

"Well, at least you paid mind to the date." Belle replied. "Thank you for attending, but I would rather you go now."

"As you wish, milady." Robin bowed. "Come on men."

They had already gathered all the valubles they could get here, and they disappeared.

"Where were all the damn guards!" Guy yelled, running after them.

Belle began to chase her husband."Guy! Stop, what did they take? A few coins and trinkets? Nothing really."

They found a few knocked out guards.

"He ruined your fun."

"He postponed it a bit." She lied. "It was fun while it lasted, but all fun comes to an end. It doesn't do well to get revenge."

"It seemed to help with Isabella." He noted.

"I thought it would, but it didn't." Belle told him. "I don't regret what we did, but that didn't help me."

"What did?" He asked.

"You." She told him simply though in her eyes was blue fire.

He paused. "What?

"You got me though losing our child." She told him. "It wasn't revenge, or the scars healing; the scars are still there. What's gotten me through was you. It was always you."

He stared at her, and after a moment she went on.

"I didn't feel better after we-I-got revenge. My father told me I have no ones protection. Usually when a woman can't give her husband children she usually meets an untimely death or worse. You said I didn't have to give you children-that you didn't care. Even through everything we've done to each other you still loved me." She told him. "My father only protected me in the first place because he wanted an heir. Someone for him to train. You didn't care, you didn't care if it was a girl or a boy. You only cared that he was healthy, and after I lost him you only cared that I was getting better.

"You got me through it, Guy. Revenge just keeps that feeling of emptiness inside your chest." She took a step forward, taking his hand and putting it on his chest. "I know mine's still there, isn't yours?"


	21. Chapter 21

While staying at Marian's, neither of the girls caused too much trouble. A little thievery here and there, but nothing huge. They acted like they did a little less than a year ago. Stealing from her father and assisting Robin when they could. No one suspected them.

"How's your scar doing?" Marian asked her as they were getting out of their disguises.

Belle showed Marian her stomach. It was still thick, but it was a few shades lighter than her normal skin tone. "It isn't too bad anymore. I don't think anyone could see it unless they look for it."

Marian nodded in agreement. "I think you're safe now. Worse comes to worse you can say you were a bit clumsy with your knives one day."

Belle laughed. "Why didn't I think of it before? I wouldn't have to have been hiding it all these weeks."

"I've never seen you hide before." Marian told her. "Even when your life's at risk you jump into the thick of it."

"I like the feeling I get."

"Adrenaline?"

"Making a difference." Belle corrected. "I prefer that term."

Marian rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."

"I have to leave in the morning." Belle told her. "I should try to look like I'm not sleep deprived."

"Yes, that is a good idea." Marian said the next morning. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"Sure." Belle said. "I'd like to keep my stuff here though I'd rather not be seen with those clothes in my saddlebag." Belle pointed to the Shadow's clothes she had folded next to Marian's Nightwatchman's.

"Yes, I think I'll be fine with that." Marian agreed.

"I'll leave you here, I'll go find Robin." Marian told her, staring at Locksley from the outskirts.

"Sounds wise." Belle agreed, only turning her head to make sure marian had gone before riding a few more yards and getting off her horse.

"GUY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Belle yelled, stalking towards her husband and Alan. The townspeople were all gone, and mercenaries took their place. The town had never looked worse. Tattooed men leering at her, though she didn't look at any of them, only her husband.

"Belle, maybe you should stay with Marian a bit longer, or go to the castle until I come to get you." He told her.

"I will not leave until you tell me what is going on."

He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her towards an empty barn. "The Sheriff needed somewhere to keep his army."

"To go against the king? This is treason! Let alone the families you threw out of their homes!" She seethed.

"This is not the time, Belle!" He replied, sounding annoyed, and not only at Belle. "You shouldn't have come here, Belle."

"Because I am a woman? I'm sorry that I thought I could return to my home." She fumed. "What about the women and the children that have been banished from their homes?" They were standing in the threshold now.

"There is nothing I can do!" He barked at her. "It is what the Sheriff demands, I have no say in it."

"Not long ago we decided my father didn't need to be in power." Belle told him.

"Things are different, to get his position I need the prince to be on my side."

"Is that what you're hiding behind?"

He didn't answer her.

She shook her head, before turning around and stalking back to her horse. She rode back to Marian's.

"Robin stole food from the garrisons, and Alan stole it back." Marian told her. "I just saw Robin."

"Okay, now what do we do?" Belle asked.

Marian opened her saddlebags, showing her their disguises.

"I concur." Belle agreed. I know a place there we can change."

They snuck into the food store, knocking out a few of them as they got in their way to the barn. When they were inside, they looked at each other, stacks of food.

They both ran towards a stack in the back, and starting moving things around when they heard a voice behind them.

"Damn it you two." Alan sounded tired.

They both turned around and stared at him.

"Look if you go now I won't do anything." He told them before the barn door opened. It was guy.

"Look Guy! I found Shadow and the Nightwatchman." He cried before Marian kicked his stomach, before moving onto Guy, and knocking him over as Belle ran behind her, but her husband threw a sack of grain into her, knocking her over, and Marian as well.

He pulled Belle up by the back of her neck, and threw her into the wall, before going for Marian.

"Hold that one down." Guy told Allen.

Belle fought to help her friend as she fought with her husband. But he wasn't her husband, at least not when she was dressed like this. He was the enemy.

She punched Allen in the chin before jumping on her husbands back. Marian was knocked out.

Guy threw her off him with difficulty, she was a bit hurt from being thrown against the wall. He pinned her on the floor, raising a flaming hot poker from the fire, about to strike.

"Let's see who you are." He sneered.

"That's enough Guy." Alan told him, grabbing his arm.

Guy dropped the rod of metal, and reached for her mask, pushing it off her face. "No," he whispered recognizing her eyes. He pushed her black scarf down. "No."

Belle stayed quiet, breathing hard, and staring at Guy.

"No!" He jumped up and ran out of the barn.

Belle found a bit of water in the barn, and woke wake Marian, both of them didn't need to be caught. Marian's head rested in her lap.

"You need to leave." Belle told her.

"I'm not leaving you." Marian told her.

"He won't kill me, but he might kill you." Belle told her. "Go."

"I can't let either of you leave." Alan told them.

"I overpowered you and she got away." Belle sneered at him. "I won't even lie if you force me to."

"We're surrounded." Marian told her. "There's no way out."

"Then you fight."

"I don't want to leave you." Marian told her.

"I'm not going to give you a choice." Belle told her. "If you don't leave I'll swing right next to you."

Marian stood up. "I will save you."

"I trust you." Belle looked at Alan. "Am I going to really have to beat you up, or are you going to let her go?"

Alan stepped aside.

Marian left, and that's when Belle started working on Alan.

"I can sneak out of here."

"You're married to him."

"I can be on a ship to Germany by the time he returns."

"To that duke?"

"I believe I'll be safer there than here." Belle told him.

"I can't let you leave."

"You used to love me. Or that's what you professed not long ago." Belle muttered.

"Don't you dare use that against me. I have no where else to go." Alan told her. "I'm on my own."

"I can talk to Robin, he will take you back if you don't keep working for Guy." Belle promised him. "I can get them to agree."

"You don't get it. It's too late for that. It's way too late."

Guy walked in then.

"Where's the other?"

"The Watchman? He ran off when this one tackled me." Alan told him.

Belle looked up at him.

Guy growled. "Stand."

She did as he asked.

He held up the dagger that had made its hole in her side. "I put this in the Shadow's side a few months ago. Show me."

She lifted the leather on her torso, showing her creamy skin, and the moon-colored scar on her abdomen.

He closed his eyes and sighed as he turned away for a moment. He turned back to her, staring into her eyes. "Why did you do this to me?"

Belle paused. "I didn't do any worse to you than you have done to the people of this country."

"Come on, I've already informed the Sheriff that we have caught The Shadow."

Belle was going to die.

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	22. Chapter 22

Belle was thrown into a room, and left there to wait. She had to do something besides wait for Marian to get Robin and the gang to come help her.

She got the coals from the fire, and made it look like she set fire to the room, and hung the sheet out of window to make it look like she escaped while she waited. Guy came in yelling, and she went running for the door. Alan was in her way, though she tried to knock him down, he caught her and threw her over his shoulder.

"Let me go! Let me go!" She cried, almost in tears. She really didn't want to die.

Guy grabbed her from him and threw her on the floor. "Stop doing these things, Belle!" He cried.

"Do you expect me to wait here to die?" her voice dangerously low.

"Leave!" Guy commanded Alan, forcing him out the door, before turning to her. "It is not my choice if that happens."

"It should be. You're my husband, you're the one that found me out." Belle slowly stood up. "You're the one that hit me so hard I fell when I was pregnant with your child. You're the one that professed to love me."

"And do you love me?" He asked.

"Yes, I do. But you don't love me. You say you do, but you can't without knowing all of me. This is me! Can't you see? I rebel against my father to help the people I always wanted to. I fight for England, and it may not be your England, but it is mine." She walked to the window turning her back on him. "In your England people starve, people die for no worse than trying to feed themselves. In your England people destroy each other to try to get a better place. In your England, it's a cruel, heartless place." She paused. "In mine people help each other out, they care for each other out and work for what's right."

"Your England's a dream."

"I've seen it." She told them. "I've seen it when I saved that child, or when one of them ran up to me the day of our wedding and begged me to not marry the 'bad man.' I saw it when Kate helped me bandage my leg. I saw it when The Outlaws took me in. Men who are against the law are nicer than law-abiding men."

"You used me." He told her.

"Didn't you use me?" She replied. "Didn't I start out as a way to get more power? The Sheriff's daughter. I hold a lot of power, or I did before I stopped acting the part."

"I loved you!"  
"And I love you." Belle turned around, pleading with him. "But you loved me without knowing me. This is me!"

"I can't save you."

"I would prefer if you stopped standing behind my father and kill me yourself! You should be happy to do it after my so called betrayals." She walked straight up to him, taking his hand, and a dagger from his side, and placing the tip of the dagger over her heart on her bare skin, and putting his hand on the handle. "Do it." She told him, dropping her hands to her sides and looking him in the eyes. "Kill the woman you say you love." Though her words were strong, but she didn't want to die, she really didn't.

He didn't move. After a while he still was there, staring at her, but holding the blade to her chest.

"You used to love me because I rebelled. You used to love me for my fight. Where did that man go?" She whispered. "I'm sorry that I had to lie, and I'm sorry that I had to use you to do good things. Even if I do die today, I wouldn't change what I did, but I might have told you about it instead of letting you find out this way." Belle got on her toes, pressing the blade harder into her breast. "Do it."

He withdrew the dagger from her chest. "I can't kill you."

"I'd honestly be a little sad if you could." Belle whispered. "I know I couldn't kill you."

He didn't respond.

"But I couldn't send you to your death either." She added. "If you give me to my father, Guy, you are not only sending me to my death, but also sending me to torture as well."

He didn't respond.

Belle moved her hands to the back of his neck. "I don't want to die." He let her pull his face towards hers so she could kiss him. He kissed her back, pulling her close to him.

Belle awoke hours later, when Alan knocked on the door before opening it. Seeing her skin from the small of her back up while everything else that was facing him was covered in a sheet.

"The Sheriff and Giz want you."

Belle didn't face him, she just gave him a small nod. Her husband just wanted to sleep with her one last time before he killed her.

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	23. Chapter 23

Belle walked with her head held high, not willing to let herself cry. Marian had to save her, she just needed to get Robin too...they had to be waiting for the right moment to strike, weren't they? They had to be. She had to believe that they would.

"Belle you've come to see the show. We're having a hanging today." Her father told her happily, though his version of happy did look insane.

Belle looked directly at her husband. "I'm ready."

Guy looked away from her, to one of the castle walls. Belle eyes followed this line of sight and she almost passed out. She saw herself, though it wasn't herself. It was the Shadow.

"The Shadow! He's escaped!" Her father cried. "Go after him!"

Guy ran after him, with a dozen guards following him to go chase down her impersonator. Who was her impersonator? From the look on Guy's face, he knew about it. He saved her. She wasn't going to die today. She wasn't going to be hanged or tortured.

Belle watched, her eyes wide, staring after him. It what seemed like no time at all he was back, with The Shadow not anywhere to be seen. No one was going to take a fall for her, whoever had taken her place had just disappeared. She was safe. She would live.

She watched her father backhand her husband before yelling at him. Belle tried to intervene but he kept her out of her father's sight, behind him until her father was done yelling, then he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from there.

"Go to your room." He told her, before letting her go and walk away.

Belle was stunned. He did all that to save her. She didn't even think of doing something else than what he asked. She walked numbly to her room to wait for him to return.

She stood by her window, and watched as guards moved and the villagers moved around the town. She didn't know how long she stood there, to her it felt like minutes, but Guy came in, followed by Alan, who was carrying in her Shadow costume.

"I don't want any more of this." He told her.

"I promise." She whispered.

Guy nodded to Alan, who threw the clothing into the fireplace. She would no longer be able to do things behind her husband's back anymore. If she wanted to do something she would have to tell him.s

She turned to Alan, tears in her eyes as she moved towards him. "Thank you."

"Yeah, well, couldn't see you swing." He told her as she hugged him. "That wouldn't be very funny."

"You can go now." Guy told him, obviously wanting to be alone with Belle.

Belle released Alan, and smiled at him as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Belle turned to her husband. "What can I do to repay you for this?"

"Stay here, with me." He said quietly.

She lifted herself onto her toes so she could wrap her arms around him. "I can't think of a place I'd rather be than with you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, but there's something else going on." Marian told her when she came to visit her some days later.

"For the last time, I'm fine, it does not matter." Belle told her. "What happened?"

"I think your husband and father are going to kill the king." Marian told her. "With the trip they are going on for months..." Belle whispered. "It makes sense."

"We have to stop it, and I can't find Robin anywhere." Marian told her. "We're on our own."

"I can't run around behind a mask anymore." Belle told her. "I'll ask Guy, I don't think he'd lie to me."

"After what just happened?"

"He knows I'm not one for being in the dark. I think he'll tell me." Belle shrugged. "He wouldn't want me sniffing around."

"Why?"

"Because if he tells me enough then I don't need to know the whole story, but if I sniff around I'll find out the whole story, or at least a good part of it." Belle told her.

"But you're not going to know the entire story."

"I don't need to, I am rather intelligent you know. I can fill in the blanks."

"I'll trust you to do that then." Belle told her.

Belle didn't know how quickly she got on that ship to the Holy Land. One moment it seemed like the only thing she could do was kill her father, the next he was the one holding a sword to her neck. Belle got Marian out at least, this time they might be able to save the king before Guy and the sheriff got to him. She had to hope for that at least, since she was chained to her husband.

They made it to a building, where she was chained to a bed. She wasn't able to see it very well since it was after dark when they arrived. They were there for a few days before she heard anything, before her husband would speak to her. He was giving her the silent treatment, which she hated. Alan wasn't even there to talk to her. He went to save Robin and the gang from the mercenaries that had them held up in Clun. She had to hope that he got to them in time. She may not know the king, but she did know that whoever her father was aligned with had to be a very bad, power hungry person. She didn't want that man in charge of the country.

Belle was a prisoner, and would stay one for the foreseeable future. She couldn't talk to anyone either, she spent her days lying on a bed, staring at the feet of people passing by the window, though they couldn't help her. If she even tried the odds were she would be punished, and she didn't feel like getting tortured; now or ever.

All there was left for her to do was wait, and hope that something was going to change. Where she sat, it didn't really seem like a likely thing to happen.

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